NOVEL WEB Chapter 21
In the Returnee Management Bureau, there is a transmitter that can track the location of returnees with their consent.
It’s not like those electronic ankle monitors worn by criminals. This is consent received for tracking the location via a smartwatch that the returnee wears on their wrist.
The primary purpose is to prevent any potential accidents, used to protect returnees, but it also serves the purpose of safeguarding ordinary citizens from dangerous returnees.
Of course, usually, once the third ethics review is completed, the monitoring of the returnee’s location comes to an end.
“They haven’t left the house for a month.”
And just like other returnees, the Returnee Management Bureau was receiving location information on the Mangja Seongnyeo Shia.
Naturally, it wasn’t something everyone could see. Only those with ranks above the ethics review board could access that information.
And today, Choi Bomi, the ethics reviewer and psychological counselor of Shia, sighed as she looked at Shia’s location information, who seemed to show no signs of leaving the house again.
“Is that returnee dead or what?”
“What are you saying? The fact that they’re moving even slightly means they’re just staying in at home.”
At her subordinate’s words, Choi Bomi felt a brief chill.
Checking the location information, she slowly gathered data about the returnee’s lifestyle patterns.
This data would later be used for ethics reviews.
Whether the returnee was living a normal life or rotting away in a cramped room without being able to adapt to the outside world or meet anyone. If it looked like they were heading towards becoming like an elderly person who dies alone, it would be her job to provide maximum mental care for the returnee.
“But not coming outside for a whole month is a bit serious, isn’t it? Isn’t it normal to at least throw out some trash?”
“…That’s the case, but… Sigh, even so, I can’t install surveillance cameras at their house to find out what they’re doing.”
“Hasn’t that caused trouble before?”
“It has. Some perverts hacked into the CCTV and sold it on the deep web. The person who probably crushed those guys was Yeonseo. Anyway, unless they’re a considerable threat, invading their privacy is prohibited. Regulations are always established after accidents happen.”
Intentionally, Returnee Shelters were assigned to returnees who passed the “Ethics Review” in the same building. If they didn’t have family, returnees in similar situations could form bonds and regain their relationships. It’s said that regaining relationships is vital for maintaining a healthy mind.
But Shia, who referred to herself as the Mangja Seongnyeo, had completely shut herself off from the world and left them clueless about what she was doing.
“Sigh, it would be a relief if she just said she didn’t feel like coming out because she’s lazy… If it’s not that but rather depression or some mental issue keeping her from going out, that’s a big deal. If something happens to Shia, Yeonseo might get angry…”
Yeonseo had already left an unilaterally harsh message for Choi Bomi and Director Lee: “Don’t let that girl do anything useless.”
How the returnee and Yeonseo had developed such a close bond in such a short time was a mystery, but if the living legend Yeonseo says so, it’s gotta be serious, right?
“Speaking of which, isn’t it about time to offer some job proposal to the returnee since it’s been a month?”
“That’s right.”
Returnees can generally receive various job support and self-reliance support systems from the Bureau.
A returnee like Shia, who possesses strong powers, would typically receive offers to become a ‘Hunter.’
If she didn’t want to become a Hunter, she could earn money by taking short-term mercenary jobs offered from the outside or completing missions proposed by the Hunter Association.
However, strong returnees generally prefer to become Hunters.
Not only is the income substantial, but living becomes quite affluent if they complete a certain level of missions assigned by the Hunter Association.
Of course, even if they’re weak, returnees might be offered suitable jobs based on their experiences and abilities from other worlds, and many returnees were employed in energy corporations or technical cooperation agencies based on knowledge and skills from other worlds.
“Shia would probably receive a Hunter proposal, right?”
“Yeah, especially since a fight can be established with Yeonseo… I think she would receive a pretty exceptional rank…”
“Wow, with Yeonseo!?”
“Ah, don’t go telling anyone about this. If the returnee’s personal information leaks into the internet, that’d be a serious issue.”
“Don’t worry, Director Choi Bomi. This isn’t my first day doing this… Oh? Director! She’s moving!”
“Where? Where?”
Director Choi Bomi’s eyes widened as she confirmed Shia’s first outing outside her house through the hologram on the screen.
Thankfully, it didn’t seem like she’d attempted suicide or anything serious was going on.
Finally leaving the house after a month.
“Let’s keep an eye on her and let me know if anything unusual happens.”
“Sure, understood.”
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“Wow……… insane…”
“Oppa, what are you looking at… whoa…”
“Is she a celebrity?”
“I’ve never seen her before…”
Shia’s gigantic pouch of holy powers and her sacred appearance worthy of the title Seongnyeo caught the attention of passersby, but the subject itself was too busy chewing on solitude to react.
No, to be precise, Shia was too lonely to pay attention to the gaze around her.
“Even if I came out… there’s nothing to do.”
The world of 2088 was drastically different from the one Shia used to know.
She felt it on the first day she fell into the dungeon; everything she knew had changed completely.
Whether she had returned to the original world or fallen into another parallel world in the near future remained a confusing blur, and Shia still felt she didn’t belong in this world.
Bright neon signs flashed boldly, dazzling her eyes, even though it was still early, and while the world of Hunters had arrived, office workers and students were busy carrying on with their own lives.
Among the bustling crowd, Shia was lost in an overwhelming feeling of gloom.
‘There are still so many people in Seoul in 2088. I heard many died due to the Great Rift…’
In the past month, she had spent almost 90% of her time eating takeout or watching backlogged movies and cartoons. And if not that, she was lying in bed, watching broadcasts of Hunters clearing dungeons.
Self-proclaimed a ‘jobless Seongnyeo’, sometimes, she would imagine herself as a mushroom spore growing within a wall and fell asleep. The only times she’d showed any significant movement during the past month were showering or going to receive takeout food.
However, she hadn’t done absolutely nothing; she skimmed through an outline of the events and history that occurred in this world while she was gone.
Although she didn’t have the will to study, reading timelines and related events felt like reading a novel, providing quite the enjoyable experience.
Through this process, she learned just how formidable the S-grade Hunter Yeonseo, who had a connection with her, truly was.
‘Yeonseo has saved humanity more times than I can count… It’s no wonder she’s a living legend.’
In any case, the current society is a civilization that has been rebuilt from the brink of destruction due to the Great Rift, thanks to the efforts of first-generation Hunters like Yeonseo.
If Shia had returned in the 2030s, she might have thought she was thrown into a post-apocalyptic world, but now, it’s been decades since humanity stood on the threshold of annihilation and began the process of reinstituting all systems and society.
Gates are stable, dungeons serve as profit tools for Hunters and the nation, and even if a dangerous dungeon appears, systematic measures minimize any potential harm to citizens.
With the dungeons stabilized, the cities have been rebuilt. With better infrastructure, the population, of course, recovered as well.
In summary, the present 2088 is similar to the world of 2024 from which Shia vanished yet has many differences.
Contrary to expectations, changes in prices due to inflation have not been significant, and the population has only slightly increased compared to normal figures of 2024.
“Sigh… should I watch a movie…? No, I can do that at home…”
Even though she had stepped outside, she didn’t know what to do.
It’s not like she could just approach any random person as if infected by the ‘Hongdae syndrome’, seeking to form friendships – it just wasn’t Shia’s style.
Even with so many people, she felt a sense of tranquility, like a stillness among a crowd. Loneliness in the crowd… perhaps even solitude amidst so many people?
Even though numerous individuals passed by her, Shia felt like she had been left alone in the world.
No, it wasn’t just her feelings.
In reality, she was alone.
In this world of 2088, Shia had no one she knew, no blood relatives, no friends – not even a single casual acquaintance.
Despite the abundance of people around her, she felt that crushing loneliness.
Even after living 85 years, she still remained the emotionally 21-year-old adult she had been in 2024.
By sheer coincidence, she aged, somehow transformed into the Mangja Seongnyeo Shia, and eventually became a returnee.
‘Ah, I’m feeling gloomy again.’
As she walked down the street, Shia felt as if she was descending a slope and sighed.
Having lived over 60 years in ‘that other world,’
No one from that world knew her; every experience and relationship, and her accomplishments were confined to what occurred there.
To a returnee here, she was merely one of many ordinary people; merely someone who returned after 64 years.
“Sniff, sniff…”
And that gloomy feeling was swept away in an instant by the delightful aroma wafting from somewhere.
“Ah… that smells delicious.”
Growl
Even though she had just eaten 13 pieces of chicken, Shia was a Malicious Entity.
She was a Mangja Seongnyeo capable of consuming food to an impossible extent beyond simple intake.
‘If I suffer from hunger, I might lose my sanity. If I lose my sanity, I might attack someone. If I attack someone, I become a criminal in this society. If that happens, I might become hostile towards Yeonhwa and Yeonseo… If I accidentally hurt or kill Yeonhwa, I’d face off against Yeonseo and become a terrifying public enemy in this society, being forever unable to find a place to settle down…’
So she ought to eat whatever her heart desires right now!
Justifying her desire to chow down like a pig, Shia began walking toward the source of that captivating scent.
Despite being a body unable to die as a Mangja Seongnyeo, amusingly, her ability to sense smells and taste was likely far superior to an ordinary human’s.
Almost as if guided by a navigation system, Shia moved directionlessly toward the aroma that stirred her appetite.
Shuffling along, her vast pouch of holy power swayed, drawing the attention of people.
“Where is… this place?”
And soon, she arrived at a restaurant that bore the sign “Our Neighborhood Seonji Rice Soup.”
Since it was just before dinner time, the crowd wasn’t that dense, but the rich, pungent aroma she had sensed earlier was emanating intensely from the bubbling cauldron.
“Slurp…”
Ah, drooling.
Unknowingly, Shia wiped the drool that was sliding down her lips with her hand.
‘Why does drool come out so easily even though I’m dead…?’
She’d wondered multiple times, but even the Black Witch Teresa couldn’t properly analyze her body, so how would she know? Just let it be!
Anyway, Shia entered the Seonji Rice Soup restaurant as if entranced.
Once inside, the aroma became even richer.
Swallowing the saliva that threatened to burst forth like a waterfall, she took her seat.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Come again~”
Shia turned her gaze toward the place where another customer had just left, mentally measuring the portion of one earthenware bowl of Seonji soup.
For an ordinary adult human, the amount would be satisfactory enough to fill their belly.
But Shia was not an ordinary human.
She was a Mangja Seongnyeo, a Malicious Entity, a vulnerable little lamb against hunger — a being capable of consuming far beyond physical limits.
Having gauged the portion of a single soup bowl, Shia realized she was the only customer in the shop and called the waiter.
“Excuse me.”
“Ah! Wow, your appearance is stunning. I haven’t seen your face around here before, did you just move here?”
“Yup…”
“Oh, these days, it’s rare to see a young lady ordering Seonji soup; you must know what you’re doing… Oh dear, I’m sorry; I need to take your order. What will you have? We have Seonji soup, but there’s also mixed with internal organs.”
“… Slurp…”
Internal organs… Seonji… Blood… Soybean paste… Radish… Bean sprouts, radish… Sigh…
Shia savoured the faint smells of the mixed ingredients wafting around her, a rapturous expression barely contained on her face as she spoke to the amiable-looking waiter.
“For now… um… I’d like 10 bowls of Seonji Rice Soup.”
“10 bowls? Ah, are you part of a company that’s having a gathering? In that case, we should move you to a larger table. There’s one over there.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Then did you come with friends?”
“I don’t have friends…”
“Uh, then what about your parents? Family?”
The pure-heartedness of the waiter attacked the Mangja Seongnyeo’s heart.
A ticklish feeling jolted through Shia, but she couldn’t muster the courage to shout, ‘So what? I’m alone anyway!’ Instead, she added in a softer voice, “… I’m by myself.”
“… You’re having 10 bowls by yourself?”
“Yes…”
“Seriously, are you really going to eat all that by yourself?”
As the waiter’s face grew increasingly bewildered, Shia began to feel inexplicably smaller.
Why should it matter that she was going to eat 10 bowls of Seonji Rice Soup alone!?
“Uh, ah! Right, you’re a Hunter, aren’t you? Yeah, yeah, they say Hunters eat a lot… If you’re a Hunter, then it’s okay…”
Hahaha… Despite the awkwardness, the waiter maintained a smile, but that business smile became increasingly stiff.
Although this waiter had worked for a long time, even if Hunters generally had a bigger appetite than regular folks, he had never seen anyone eat more than four bowls of Seonji Rice Soup!
In fact, the only Hun who had eaten four bowls was compelled by a bet or a prank among fellow Hunters!
But, after all, a customer is a customer.
If she ordered 10 bowls, didn’t that mean they had to serve her?
She didn’t seem drunk or out of her mind; if she truly was a Hunter with a notably large appetite, they might get to witness the extraordinary sight of her finishing 10 bowls!
Initially taken aback, the waiter eventually set the side dishes on Shia’s table before opening the boiling cauldron and deftly ladling the Seonji soup into each bowl.
Adding in rice all at once into the broth, seasoning, and chopped green onions, it was a perfect symphony of flavors.
‘Oh man, even I can tell this is a massive amount…’
Regardless, Shia was gazing at the Seonji soup in the distance with sparkling eyes, greedily drooling.
No, it wasn’t just looking—they weren’t even able to tear herself away from the delicious sight.
As soon as the cauldron opened, the delightful aroma of internal organs and blood flooded her senses, nearly sending her into a daze.
“Gulp…”
What is Seonji?
Seonji soup is known as a hangover soup made from simmering beef bones and tough cuts of meat for an extended period to yield a radiant, flavorful broth.
It reaches a pinnacle of deliciousness when the tendons have melted down into an incredible tender state, at which point, Seonji, bean sprouts, and radishes are generously added and seasoned once more, continuing the simmering process for an extended time until the Seonji soup is completed.
Since the soup is based on marrow broth, the iron and the rich flavors shine. The Seonji, particularly, is nutrient-rich with iron and protein.
However, Seonji is essentially coagulated blood drawn from a cow, leading to a division of opinions about it among many people.
While it has fans who love it to death, it also has others who find it gross or unpalatable, vowing never to touch it for the rest of their lives.
For Shia, who is a Malicious Entity and a Seongnyeo, Seonji is… a heavenly ingredient.
Fresh, delicious blood.
Shia understood just how much the taste and flavor could improve a piece of meat.
“Here you go, young lady. Your order—10 bowls! Be careful, they’re hot…”
“Hwup!! Gulp! Delicious… Gulp Slurp…”
“Eg?! Aren’t they hot!?”
The Seonji Rice Soup was steaming hot as it was fresh from the cauldron and even remained piping in the bowls.
Clearly burning hot and sure to burn her tongue, Shia began munching down the Seonji soup as if she were casually snacking on regular crackers, making the waiter watch her with astonished eyes.
“Hwup, Gulp!, So good… Gulp Slurp…”
In just 30 seconds, Shia devoured the soup, rice, radishes, Seonji, and internal organs.
Her petite mouth scooped up the food, skillfully shoving it all down without any mess, a truly awe-inspiring spectacle.
“Wow… it seems like you were quite hungry.”
Then, within an additional 30 seconds, Shia completely finished the broth from the Seonji soup, leaving not a single drop behind.
After roughly a minute, she had polished off one bowl of bubbling hot Seonji soup.
“Wow… Ah, young lady, you should slow down!”
“Hwup! Gulp! It’s delicious, really, really delicious. Gulp!”
The waiter was now gazing at Shia with a look of admiration, as if witnessing something inhuman.
Shia was continuously savoring the refreshing broth, stuffing her mouth with the fragrant Seonji.
While she could insist that if she was eating messily, she ought to be thrown out, the astonishing thing was that Shia managed to eat nearly flawlessly without dropping food or making a mess.
Not a single strand of hair was out of place, and not once did she break a sweat despite the heat.
Ten minutes later, Shia had consumed all 10 steaming bowls of Seonji Rice Soup.
“Haa…………… yawn….”
This is it.
This is it, damn it…
This is what real sex feels like…
Shia gazed at the ceiling with eyes wide open in ecstatic bliss.
Anyone watching would think she resembled a junkie riding a high, lost in the lingering euphoria.
“Um, ma’am?”
“Ah! Yes! Young lady, are you ready for the bill?”
“10 more bowls, please…”
“…Huh?”
Evidently, Shia wished to bask in this ecstasy for even longer.
“No, 10 bowls won’t be enough… just bring the entire cauldron over.”
“Whaaat?!”
And the waiter’s face turned to one of shock.
That cauldron… is for 50 servings…?!
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