IFH - 7

[Agricultural Research Institute Has Not Yet Made Official Statement]

[How to Prevent Hunter Market Listing Mistakes: Lettuce 100g 5 Coins]

"Hey, did you see this? They say lettuce was listed on Hunter Market this time?"

"No way."

"It's true. I have an Awakener friend who said they saw it being listed in real time."

"Whoa, really?"

"There's even an article."

The effect the lettuce caused was tremendous. People's conversations were all about the lettuce listed on Hunter Market.

Not just anything, but an extinct crop being listed! Moreover, Hunter Market wasn't even an official sales outlet designated by the Agricultural Research Institute.

Naturally, people's questions and interest exploded. News, YouTube, SNS, and even community channels—all were buzzing about lettuce.

From saying whoever did this deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, to hopeful theories that other extinct crops would revive soon.

Opinions varied, but their questions all unified into one.

'Who is the benefactor who revived the lettuce?'

This astonishing event spread overseas and became a great mystery of the world. And that mystery reached a certain high-end residential area in Seoul.

"The benefactor of lettuce, huh."

A man leaning against the sofa backrest muttered with a languid expression. Tapping the armrest with his fingers, he soon accessed Hunter Market.

Search for seller information of item 'lettuce'?

Yes│No

Master mode, which allows access to all sales records and seller information on Hunter Market. A privilege granted only to top-ranked Awakeners within top 3 of each country.

Shortly after, the man's brow furrowed slightly as he stared at the screen with a bored expression.

Unable to confirm seller information.

'What?'

He became a bit confused when the information he thought would be easily obtained didn't appear. Someone had definitely blocked the information from behind.

"Who could it be."

Only another master account could hide from a master account's eyes. So there were two candidates.

'Now you've got me interested.'

A slow arc drew across the man's lips.

∞∞∞

"Eun-ie. You made the news? Congratulations!"

Apparently about to leave for work, Baek Dan, dressed in a suit, came down to the first-floor living room and teased Baek Eun.

"I'm ruined now...."

Pushing away Baek Dan's face with one hand as he pestered her from the side, Baek Eun sighed deeply and hung her head.

"Don't worry. I made sure absolutely no one will find out it's you."

At the comforting words, Baek Eun's head shot up.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Can't trust this oppa?"

"Yeah...."

"You little. When you were little, you'd believe me if I said the sun was the moon. Anyway, don't worry. I handled it well."

At the repeated reassurance, she let out a sigh of relief. At that sight, Baek Dan chuckled.

"Is this some hidden strength thing? No wait. You're a farmer so hidden farming strength? pfft."

"I plan to keep hiding as much as possible. If people found out natural cultivation was possible in this world, they'd kidnap me and make me a slave for life."

"Kidnap. Do you think I'd just let something like that happen to you again?"

Just imagining it was terrible, and Baek Dan's face hardened stiffly. Baek Eun calmed him down by patting the back of his hand.

"Anyway, there's no harm in being careful."

You're right. Baek Dan immediately agreed and looked through the living room window at the garden before opening his mouth again.

"Hidden farming strength aside. Want to wrap some samgyeopsal with lettuce later? There's a ton growing in the garden again."

It was clearly meant to change the subject, but it was quite appetizing.

Since she'd only harvested enough for the quest, she hadn't tasted the lettuce yet either.

"Then buy some meat on your way home."

"Okay. Deal!"

Baek Dan got up from the sofa and headed toward the entrance, then turned his head again. His dark pupils sparkled playfully.

"Peanut. It'll be tough harvesting lettuce alone, want me to cut all the lettuce before I go?"

"No, it's fine. I have a skill now too."

"Oh."

Baek Dan chuckled at her boasting.

"Alright. See you later."

Once Baek Dan left, the lively house fell into silence. Baek Eun sat on the living room sofa for a while before getting up.

"Shall I go thin out the lettuce."

Only two days had passed since harvesting, yet it had grown as much as before harvesting.

"They said lettuce is hard to cultivate in summer because it withers."

Was it because of the growth buff? Instead of withering, it was remarkably fresh.

"Harvest skill description."

Skill: Harvest (C)

Harvests cleanly according to crop characteristics!

To end the skill in auto mode, please shout 'Stop harvesting!'

Note: Skill automatically ends when used on area exceeding 500 pyeong.

Cooldown: 1 hour

Current mode: Auto (default)

The Harvest skill was amazing. Though it had the disadvantage of requiring physical movement, the speed was incredibly fast and accurate.

In less than 30 minutes, she had harvested all the lettuce growing in the garden.

[Your constellation 'Judge of the Dead' gives a hint that when you raise the skill rank, you won't need to move your body directly.]

"Huh? Wasn't C~D rank the default? It's possible to level up?"

[The 'Judge of the Dead' says proudly that there are no limits to your potential.]

[Your constellation conveys that you can raise ranks with experience points received as rewards for completing quests.]

Why are you the one being proud....

Though having limitless potential was something to be happy about, for some reason Baek Eun couldn't smile wholeheartedly.

'This is insanely unsettling.'

I really might end up solving the world's food problems at this rate.

Baek Eun returned to her room and listed lettuce on Hunter Market again. There was so much thinned out, and she felt guilty monopolizing such good things alone.

'Baek Dan said absolutely no one would find out.'

Though she usually found him annoying, Baek Eun always trusted Baek Dan's words. He might seem frivolous on the outside, but he was surprisingly solid on the inside.

Though hard to say herself, the reason Baek Dan's guild was maintained was because Baek Dan unexpectedly acted like a decent person.

So she felt reassured by his words. She didn't think her identity would be revealed even if she continued using Hunter Market with this account.

"This time I'll register properly without missing a zero."

-Ding ding.

What, sold out again?

If it sells out this quickly, should I add another zero next time?

With such idle thoughts, she flopped onto the bed. She felt a bit tired now that the tension had released.

"To think I'd become a farmer."

How did this happen?

What was that gate connected to the subspace that appeared in the bathroom, and what was 'Proxy of ■■' in the title section? Everything was a mystery.

'Give me at least a hint.'

Lying still and thinking, Baek Eun remembered something she'd forgotten.

"Ah right, Fragment of Truth."

There was that!

Last time, the shock of registering the wrong amount was too great, so she couldn't check it immediately.

'If I check this, maybe I'll know why I got this ability.'

Baek Eun touched 'Fragment of Truth I' occupying her inventory slot while still lying down.

Item Description

Name: Fragment of Truth I

Rank: ???

Description: One truth that has already happened in the past, and is also a future that has not yet happened.

Note: You cannot return from the fragment until you have confirmed all truths.

Confirm Fragment of Truth I?

Yes│No

What kind of description is this. Schrödinger's fragment?

Baek Eun scratched her head and touched 'Yes.' Then a system window appeared again.

['Mental Protection' buff temporarily applied for user safety.]

"What? What kind of content is this..."

Baek Eun's words couldn't be finished. The moment she used the item, her vision blurred, and soon her consciousness was sucked somewhere.

∞∞∞

['Mental Protection' buff is active.]

What? Where is this?

Baek Eun became confused at the suddenly changed scenery.

She was in front of a collapsed building in a ruined city. It seemed to be midnight, with darkness all around and not a single person passing by.

'No. Rather than because it's night...'

Probably because this place was abandoned.

A somewhat eerie and gloomy place.

The streetlight that barely illuminated the surroundings flickered on and off, adding to the desolate atmosphere.

'What exactly is this situation?'

While bewildered, someone began walking out from between the building debris with heavy steps. Startled, Baek Eun flinched and hid behind a car.

'Lee Dojae?'

A stiff expression and tightly closed lips. Light brown hair and brown eyes were a face she knew well.

He was someone who frequently appeared in media.

'His atmosphere is quite different from what I've seen on TV.'

World rank 1, Lee Dojae. Though she'd never met him, she knew a bit about him from Baek Dan mentioning him several times in passing.

They said he belonged to no guild despite being rank 1, traveling alone. Though unaffiliated, he closed S-rank gates as easily as breathing.

Lee Dojae's ability wasn't precisely known, but people called him a monster unprecedented and unrepeatable.

While Baek Eun was lost in thought facing such a Lee Dojae, he suddenly turned his head and looked toward where Baek Eun was.

Startled, Baek Eun flinched, but he showed no particular reaction.

'Didn't he see me?'

Thinking about it, she hadn't done anything wrong, so she didn't know why she was hiding.

Gathering a little courage, Baek Eun came out from behind the car and revealed herself.

"Excuse me."

Whether he couldn't hear or not, there was no reaction. Even when she waved her hand in front of his face, he didn't seem aware of her.

'I'm in an illusion shown by the system right now.'

Finally understanding the situation, Baek Eun waited with a sullen face for the illusion to end.

"Lee... Dojae, you bastard...."

A familiar voice came from between the collapsed building debris. A voice Baek Eun could never fail to recognize.

Baek Dan, covered in dust all over his body, came limping out from inside the building.