IFH - 1

The sound of six slices of egg-battered bread frying golden-brown in margarine filled the air.

The rich aroma of toasted bread and savory margarine that tickled the nose was enough to make passersby stop in their tracks.

Between those perfectly toasted slices went finely shredded fresh cabbage. Homemade hash browns were placed on top, and the finishing touch—a special secret sauce—completed the toast.

Speed was everything during busy times like this. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Baek Eun called out energetically:

"Number 17! Three potato toasts are ready!"

Three women who had been waiting with their tickets lit up and eagerly received their toasts.

"Phew, lucky we only had to wait an hour today."

"Right? Good thing we lined up first thing in the morning!"

Slurp... "I'm drooling. I finally get to try it! This is that famous 'Potato Toast,' right?"

In the cold winter, white steam rose between the golden, piping-hot toasts.

Melted cheddar cheese dripped appetizingly, and the sweet toast fragrance stimulated their sense of smell.

Just as the three women were about to take their first emotional bites—

"Customers, you need to pay first."

Baek Eun smiled brightly, extending her hand.

The oldest-looking woman started and quickly pulled out her wallet.

"Oh my! It's 300,000 won per toast. 900,000 won total, correct?"

"Yes. Please insert your card here."

After hurriedly completing the payment, the woman left the shop with excited steps, toast in hand.

It was a hefty sum for a quick snack, but no one here complained about the price.

Her cooking was worth it.

Then, a voice full of complaint came from outside the shop:

"Hey, miss! If I'm number 790, how much longer do I have to wait? My legs are killing me!"

Baek Eun glanced at the clock and replied:

"At that number, you'll need to wait about 4 more hours."

"What? Making people wait that long for just toast! At least let me wait inside!"

If you don't want to wait, leave. I'm exhausted too, you know?

But instead of answering, Baek Eun silently kept making toast. The reason for her silence was simple.

"This shop has always been takeout-only. Didn't you know? If you have complaints, leave the line."

"Exactly. Who do you think you are, pointing fingers at the Saint? What if she quits making 'buff food' because of you—will you take responsibility?"

Other customers spoke up on her behalf instead.

Under the crowd's accusing gaze, the man's face turned beet red. He threw his ticket to the ground.

"Ugh, who cares about stupid toast! I don't want it if it's so dirty!"

Just as he was about to storm off—

"Watch your mouth. The dirty thing is that mouth of yours."

"Wh-what?"

A man walked through the murmuring crowd. People instinctively stepped back, feeling an indescribable pressure.

Regardless, the man walked into the shop with a cheerful smile.

"Eun-ah, why are you exhausting yourself cooking for trash like that?"

In Korea, naturally blonde hair and captivating blue eyes were rare sights. The strikingly handsome man looked coldly at the man who had made a scene.

At his gaze, the uncle fled. Once the killing intent left his eyes, the man smiled sweetly at Baek Eun.

"Go Daehan. Who said you could barge into my shop?"

"Weren't you busy? Saving all these people by yourself must be hard. Though I'd prefer if you paid attention to me instead of saving people like that."

Go Daehan naturally tied on an apron and started prepping vegetables and potatoes beside Baek Eun.

Just as Baek Eun, frowning, was about to say something—

"Eun-ah, I'm here!"

A bright voice called out. The man who entered shyly held out a bouquet of flowers.

"I saw these on the way here, and they were so pretty."

Where did he get such precious flowers again...

"Are your eyes just for decoration? Can’t you see how busy she is?”

At the sarcastic Go Daehan, the man turned his head.

More pure and elegant than most women, he glared at Go Daehan prepping vegetables beside Baek Eun and said:

"So Eun wasn't alone?"

Baek Eun sighed and spoke:

"Lee Eunjae, what are you doing here?"

"It's been hard to see you lately, so I came... but why are you with this guy?"

What are you talking about. We just saw each other the day before yesterday...

While Baek Eun was internally retorting, Go Daehan—who had been prepping vegetables—caught the conversation with an unusually flashy smile.

"Unlike you, who keeps receiving help from Eun, I can actually help Eun directly."

The comment hit a sore spot. Lee Eunjae's face turned cold. His bright voice disappeared, replaced by a low, irritated tone.

"Jealous? That Eun pays attention to me. If you're jealous, why don't you be friends with Eun too?"

"Just 'friends,' huh."

"Still better than someone who can't even be friends with Eun."

Damn it, I'm busy—why are these guys here fighting and causing a scene!

As the two men growled at each other, looking ready to grab each other by the collar, Baek Eun was about to seize both their wrists and throw them out when—

A large hand appeared from somewhere and gently wrapped around hers.

"You shouldn't be grabbing other men's bodies so casually."

Startled by the burning warmth in her palm and the sweet, low voice, Baek Eun looked up.

"Professor...?"

"How long are you going to call me Professor, Eun-ah. We agreed to stop that."

"..."

The man smiled radiantly, gently stroking the soft inner flesh of Baek Eun's hand. With a bitter expression, Baek Eun pulled her hand free and subtly wiped it on her apron.

"No, but why is everyone here..."

With three men appearing in an instant, the already cramped shop felt even smaller.

Then someone gasped and shouted:

"Gasp, it's Lee Dojae! World Rank 1 Lee Dojae appeared!"

"What? Really? What's the relationship between the 'Saint' and Lee Dojae?"

"Did you see them holding hands so affectionately just now?"

At Lee Dojae's appearance, the customers outside began murmuring even louder.

Ugh, seriously. Affectionate my foot.

Can't you see my expression? I'm going crazy!

[Your Constellation 'Judge of the Dead' is protesting with a picket sign, saying they can't accept all these guys.]

What. Be quiet.

Whose fault do you think this is!

[Your Constellation snickers, saying you should've kept your abilities moderate.]

I could go crazy from how annoying this is.

If it weren't for this damn old fogey Constellation, none of this would have happened!

Me, of all people, becoming a farmer when it wasn't even in my fate, huh?

And on top of that, I have to save the world by cooking with crops that I grew my. self!

Baek Eun sighed internally, looking out at the scene beyond her toast shop with cloudy eyes.

How did a small toast shop on the outskirts of Seoul become so packed with customers from all over the world?

To understand the reason, we must go back about half a year.

∞∞∞

Rumble

"Gasp! Wh-what!"

Baek Eun's eyes snapped open at the heavy rumbling and vibration in the middle of the night.

But the dark room was silent, as if what she'd felt moments ago had been an illusion.

"What was that? I could've sworn I heard something loud... Was it a dream?"

Head tilted, Baek Eun sighed and rubbed her face. Fully awake now, she slipped out of bed to get some water.

'...Was my house always this quiet?'

Something felt wrong as she opened the door and headed to the living room. The house was eerily silent. Even though it was summer, she couldn't hear any insects chirping.

Shiver. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

"Ba-Baek Dan!"

She turned from the living room and banged on the door of her twin brother Baek Dan's room.

"Baek Dan! Baek Dan! Come out!"

Unlike usual, she couldn't hear his loud snoring. Anxiety gnawed at her. She flung the door open.

A bulging figure was visible on the bed.

"Baek Dan!"

In the dim dawn light, she could see Baek Dan's profile. Just his presence had always reassured her. He was right there. Baek Eun was about to sigh in relief when—

"Baek Dan...?"

Her steps toward him stopped. Something caught the eye of someone with better-than-average vision.

Dust particles floating as if defying gravity. Clock hands frozen in place.

Her heart dropped with a thud. Baek Eun forced her stiff feet to move toward Baek Dan.

"Ba-Baek Dan... I'm scared. Wake up. What's wrong!"

No matter how she called, her twin wouldn't wake up. When she touched his shoulder to shake him awake, Baek Eun jumped back as if doused in ice water.

"Wh-what. Why is he so stiff."

No matter how she shook him, Baek Dan's body wouldn't budge. He stood frozen in place like a stone statue.

"What the hell, is this some horror movie all of a sudden!"

Time had stopped for the entire world except her.

Panicked, she fled Baek Dan's room and rushed downstairs.

"Mom! Dad!"

She opened the bedroom door to find her parents sleeping embraced in each other's arms. But the situation was no different from upstairs. Both were stiff as stone statues.

"Aaah! I'm going crazy, what is this!"

Running back upstairs to her room to find her phone, something caught the corner of her eye.

"Wh-what. What's that?"

From the closed bathroom, light sparkled out like a disco ball. As Baek Eun slowly walked toward it, she became afraid to open the door when she reached it.

Why was such dazzling, glittering light coming from inside the bathroom?

She didn't want to open the door, but her instincts screamed that the answer to this situation lay inside.

The moment she quietly turned the doorknob with trembling hands—

"..."

Baek Eun was so shocked she forgot how to speak.

'Why is there a Gate in our bathroom?'

Yes. That was unmistakably a Gate. A Gate emitting brilliant, multicolored light.

It looked slightly different from the Gates she knew, but it was definitely a Gate.

"R-report... I need to report this."

If Baek Eun had been slightly more rational, she would have realized that with time stopped, her phone wouldn't work either.

She didn't even have her phone in her hand.

As terrified Baek Eun slowly tried to back away—

Rumble

The heavy rumbling and vibration that had woken Baek Eun rang out once more, and the Gate swallowed her.

"Aaah! No! I'm not even an Awakened!"

Her desperate, unheard scream filled the house before soon fading away.

You have entered the Primordial ■■.

Commencing eligibility assessment for 'Proxy of ■■.'

......Assessment in progress......

Assessment approved.

Entry to the Primordial ■■ permitted.