Chapter 125
"Wow..."
"W-What is all this?"
Right after arriving on the 60th floor, Bong Taesu couldn't hide his amazement at the scenery before him.
Kim Hyuna and Lee Yumi looked equally surprised by how different everything felt from before.
And for good reason.
The sight in the distance was unbelievable.
"Lower the price!"
"How can you charge 1,000 Coins for Current Grass?!"
"Lower it!"
"Lower it!"
In front of a vegetable stall...
A Dark Elf was waving around a bundle of seaweed-like Current Grass and shouting for a discount.
And standing across from him, shockingly enough, was a Merfolk merchant.
"Hey, come on."
"I already lowered the price plenty."
"They said Dark Elves were picky, and I guess they weren't exaggerating."
Just then, a middle-aged human woman passing by pointed at the Current Grass.
"Mister, how much is this?"
"It's my child's birthday today, so I wanted to cook something special."
"Yes, yes. You came at the right time."
"1,000 Coins."
"How much do you need?"
"If you buy a lot, I'll shave the price down a bit."
At that moment, the Dark Elf shoved the Current Grass in his hand toward the Merfolk merchant's face and shouted again.
"Give me a discount too!"
"800 Coins!"
"I only have 800 Coins, so sell it to me for 800!"
"Come on!"
"If I sell it for 800, what am I supposed to live on?!"
"No!"
"900 Coins or no deal!"
In the end, perhaps exhausted by the ridiculous argument, the merchant sold it for 800 anyway.
The middle-aged woman hesitated.
"Then for me too..."
"I'll buy a lot instead."
"Please?"
"Haa... you're all driving me crazy."
The merchant waved both hands.
"Fine."
"Take it."
"Take as much as you want!"
"This is why people from the land are..."
"Ahem."
"Anyway."
He added another bundle.
"This extra one's for your kid's birthday."
"Take it."
"Oh my."
"You don't have to give me this much!"
"Thank you!"
"Come on."
"It's nothing."
"Go home and enjoy it with your child."
Ten years ago, these races had been ready to kill each other on sight.
Now they were living together.
Children of different races even ran through the market side by side, playing together.
Watching them pass, Lee Yumi asked,
"How many years have gone by for things to change this much?"
"It's completely different from when we first came here."
"I would've believed you if you said a hundred years had passed."
Suhyeok looked toward the writing on a distant tourist board.
Central City Tehera....
This is different from before the regression.
Did the future change?
I don't know how many years have passed either.
He glanced toward Uji.
Uji hurriedly checked something, then held up his fingers.
"Ten years."
Bong Taesu stared.
"Hah."
"So the saying that mountains and rivers change in ten years really is true."
"To think people who once slaughtered one another could come together like this..."
"This is truly fortunate."
Lee Yumi nodded.
"Yeah."
"And from the looks of it, even the people who used to be pirates cleaned themselves up and found new jobs as fishermen."
Kim Hyuna looked around.
"This kind of feels like Busan."
The common people weren't the only ones who had changed.
When they reached the massive castle in the center of the city, the guards at the gate stopped them.
"No entry beyond this point."
"If you possess an entry token, present it."
"Here."
Suhyeok handed over the token he'd received from the Red Dragon Chief before leaving for Atlantis.
The moment the guards confirmed it, they visibly startled.
One of them hurried off to contact someone.
Soon, the gates opened.
The guards looked almost excessively delighted.
"His Majesty has been waiting for you for a very long time!"
"P-Please, come inside!"
They entered the palace.
Bong Taesu kept glancing around before asking carefully,
"By the way..."
"Did that bastard really become king?"
"Looks like it."
Lee Yumi shook her head.
"I can't believe I've lived long enough to see this."
"But how much could he really have changed?"
"People don't transform that completely."
Kim Hyuna tilted her head.
"Still, if he became a king, maybe he changed at least a little."
...Didn't we see this somewhere before?
Yeah. Where did we see this?
Is this déjà vu or something? But seriously, why does this feel so familiar;;
Everyone acting like their memories got erased is killing me lol
No seriously, what was it?
They kept chatting while imagining what Stark might look like now.
Then...
The guide stopped in front of a room at the end of the corridor.
With a gentle smile, he said,
"This is His Majesty's office."
"He is waiting inside."
"I may interfere with your reunion, so I will take my leave."
Once the guide left, Lee Yumi swallowed and gripped the doorknob.
"Shall we go in?"
Everyone entered with quiet anticipation.
And inside...
Suhyeok saw a scene that felt painfully familiar.
Far too familiar.
Stark shot to his feet.
"You've arrived!"
"Hahaha!"
"I've been waiting!"
"How long has it been?"
His appearance had changed drastically.
He hadn't exactly been ugly before...
But he definitely hadn't been this handsome.
Lean muscles were visible even beneath his clothes.
It looked like he'd been training consistently.
"Has it been ten years?"
"After all of you left for Atlantis, we never heard from you again."
"I was worried."
"But seeing you again like this..."
"I'm truly happy."
Ten years ago, he'd looked like the furthest thing possible from diligence or sincerity.
Now...
He genuinely looked like the king of a nation.
Lee Yumi and Bong Taesu stared at him in silence.
Even Kim Hyuna was visibly shaken by the transformation.
Then all three started denying reality.
"W-Wait..."
"Is that really him?"
Lee Yumi pointed.
"The guy we actually beat the hell out of back then...?"
Bong Taesu nodded slowly.
"I-I know."
"Something has gone terribly wrong here."
Kim Hyuna stared in disbelief.
"Seriously..."
"Wow...."
"This is a dream, right?"
"No."
"It has to be a dream."
"Right?"
"Probably."
"I agree...."
Suhyeok himself was reminded of when he'd met Benz again.
He was surprised too.
But unlike the others, he quickly regained his composure.
"Looks like you've been doing well."
Stark smiled.
"Hahaha. Yes."
"I was lacking in many ways, but the Duke..."
He corrected himself.
"No."
"The Red Dragon Chief helped me a great deal."
"The others did too."
Suhyeok glanced outside.
"The city has changed a lot."
"Your role must've been significant."
[The Sea Dragon Kingdom has flourished greatly.]
[According to the contract, ten years of profits are being settled.]
[12,500,000 Coins obtained.]
With this...
Suhyeok's total Coins were now approaching fifty million.
He hadn't expected that much.
Stark must have genuinely done well.
"Good work."
That simple praise was enough.
Stark smiled faintly and shook his head.
"No."
"I just worked hard and learned the job."
"And..."
