Chapter 110
Hong Man-gi filled a bowl with a generous mound of freshly cooked white rice and placed it in front of Bellok.
"This is a proper meal, prepared just for you."
Following his instincts, Bellok reached out with his large, rough hand and picked up one of the steaming pork ribs.
As a soul, he should not have been able to feel physical heat.
Yet he seemed startled by the warmth coming through his fingertips and stopped moving for a moment.
Then he brought the meat to his mouth again.
He took a large bite.
There was no need to tear the meat off the bone.
The pork, perfectly tenderized through Hong Man-gi's alchemy, slipped smoothly away from the bone the moment it touched Bellok's lips.
[Chew...]
Bellok began chewing.
A wonderful combination of flavors spread throughout his mouth.
The deep, refreshing acidity of the aged kimchi perfectly balanced the richness of the pork fat, while the salty umami of the seed soy sauce had penetrated every fiber of the meat.
With each bite, the flavors burst forth together with the meat juices.
But the most surprising thing was the texture.
The meat melted softly like cotton candy, yet it still retained the satisfying texture that made eating meat enjoyable.
It was nothing like the tough, bloody texture of the raw monster flesh Bellok had spent his life tearing apart and devouring.
It was the texture of a proper dish, something touched by human hands, shaped by time, and perfected through fire.
"...!"
Bellok's eyes widened.
Without saying a word, he picked up his spoon.
He placed some torn aged kimchi and a piece of meat on top of the white rice.
Then he stuffed his mouth until it was completely full.
[Chew, chew... Gulp.]
The warm, substantial mouthful traveled down his throat.
The moment it reached his stomach, a strange light began shining from the enormous hole in his abdomen.
The empty opening through which the wind had been passing was gradually being filled with warmth.
"Ah..."
Bellok dropped his spoon.
He clutched his stomach.
He had spent his entire life devouring food.
Mountains of monster corpses and the finest dishes costing thousands of gold coins.
He had eaten and eaten until his stomach was ready to burst.
Yet a sensation he had never experienced even once in his life was now spreading throughout his entire body.
It was genuine satisfaction, the feeling of being truly full.
The empty hole in his heart, and the terrible sense of deprivation he had felt while living as a monster after losing his dignity as a human being, were finally being filled.
"This is the taste..."
Large tears rolled down Bellok's face and fell into his bowl of rice.
"What I... What I truly wanted to eat... wasn't a dragon's heart or a kraken's tentacle."
He covered his face with his bloodstained hands.
"I just... wanted to put a piece of meat on some warm rice... and eat like a human being. Just like everyone else... Normally..."
He began to sob.
The enormous man, the predator once known as the king of the back alleys, was crying like a child in front of a simple bowl of rice.
"I... wasn't a monster... I was a human being... Just... a hungry human being..."
His anguished confession echoed throughout the restaurant.
Hong Man-gi said nothing in response.
He simply tore off some more aged kimchi and placed it on Bellok's rice.
Kang Jae-min and Lee Yu-han sniffled, their noses stinging with emotion.
Although they could not see Bellok, they could feel the sadness and relief filling the room.
Bellok wiped away his tears and continued eating.
One bowl, then another.
He did not stop until the pot was completely empty.
Only after mixing his rice with the very last drop of broth and scraping the bowl clean did he finally put down his spoon.
[BUUURP!]
After letting out a loud, satisfying burp, the dark red aura of an evil spirit that had surrounded his body began to disappear completely.
The enormous hole in his abdomen was gradually filled with light, and the wounds that had covered his body began healing without leaving a trace.
In an instant, Bellok returned to the imposing, healthy appearance he had possessed during his lifetime.
He stood up and looked at Hong Man-gi.
"That was a good meal, little chef."
He gave him a broad grin.
"Of all the things I've eaten in my entire life, today's meal has left me the fullest. I really... am full."
Starting from his feet, his body slowly began transforming into particles of light and scattering.
It was time for his ascension.
Hong Man-gi bowed his head toward him.
"May you rest in peace. And wherever you're going... I hope you never have to go hungry again."
"Heh, heh... That's the plan."
But just as he was about to finish speaking, Bellok's eyes suddenly sharpened again.
"Heh, heh... To think this is how I would make my exit... What a joke... But isn't it ridiculous? The great Bellok, who once ruled the Shadow Market, died because a few bastards stabbed holes in him."
Hong Man-gi looked at him with a grim expression.
"You said they were the Association's assassination unit... and that they used something to suppress your mana..."
"That's right. Those damn ampoules."
Bellok ground his teeth.
"If they'd fought me head-on, even a hundred of them wouldn't have been able to pierce my skin. But those bastards weren't hunters. They were butchers. They cut off my mana, tied up my arms and legs, and carved me apart while I was still alive."
He looked at Hong Man-gi with a bitter expression.
"That's how they operate. It's ridiculous for me to go on about this when I'm already dead and on my way to the afterlife, but... Cha Mu-jin and those old men behind him don't fear strength. They fear what they cannot control."
"What they cannot control..."
"People like me, who did whatever they pleased in the back alleys, and people like you, who break the rules and grow stronger at an absurd rate. They ruthlessly dispose of anything that cannot fit inside the boundaries they've established. Thoroughly and cruelly. They don't care what methods they have to use. They'll keep going until they've achieved their objectives..."
Bellok pointed his enormous finger at Hong Man-gi's chest.
Although his finger did not physically touch him, its cold energy seemed to pierce straight into Hong Man-gi's heart.
"Be careful. Those bastards have now confirmed your potential. At first, they'll try to persuade you to join them. But the moment you refuse... they'll turn a blade on you that's even more vicious than the one they used against me. My death was nothing more than a preview of what's waiting for you."
Hong Man-gi clenched his fists.
"I'm already well aware of that..."
"Heh, heh... So it's already begun? I like the look in your eyes. But you're different from me. You're not alone."
Bellok's gaze briefly settled on Kang Jae-min and Lee Yu-han in the corner before returning to the empty earthenware bowl.
Deep regret appeared in his eyes.
"It was only after I died that I finally understood why I had always been so hungry."
He opened and closed his hand, grasping at the empty air.
"I spent my entire life eating alone. I did it to become stronger and stand above everyone else. Even when I was chewing on the hearts of monsters, I mistakenly believed that what I was gaining was strength. There was never anyone else at my dinner table. I wouldn't let anyone sit beside me. I was afraid I'd become weak. Afraid I'd have to share what belonged to me."
His voice grew heavy with emotion.
"But today, when I smelled the stew you prepared... and saw the meal you and your companions had gathered around and made for me, I finally understood something. Food... tastes better when you eat it together."
"..."
"I realized it far too late. I was so obsessed with becoming stronger that I never noticed my own soul slowly withering away. Damn it... I should've spent my life sharing a few pieces of kimchi and laughing with other people instead."
Bellok tried to laugh heartily, but his laughter carried a deep sense of loneliness.
"Don't feel sorry for me."
He spoke as though he had seen through the guilt that still remained in Hong Man-gi's heart.
"I'm repeating myself because I don't want you feeling guilty. Thanks to your cooking, my final meal left me satisfied. That's enough for me. So..."
He raised his clenched fist.
"Shouldn't someone collect the price of my life?"
He pointed a finger at Hong Man-gi's chest.
"With my power..."
His voice rang out thunderously.
"Tear those bastards apart."
"The bastards who pierced my stomach, those arrogant Association bastards who treated me like an animal, use my teeth to chew their necks to pieces! Bwahahaha!"
Leaving behind his hearty laughter, Bellok transformed into a dazzling beam of light and shot up toward the ceiling.
[FWOOOOOSH!]
When the light disappeared, only the empty dishes and a profound, lingering feeling remained.
And then,
Ding.
A familiar notification rang in Hong Man-gi's ears.
[A-rank Hunter Gluttonous Bellok's soul has been saved.]
[His terrible hunger has been satisfied with genuine fulfillment.]
[You have inherited the Predator's Legacy.]
[New Skills Acquired!]
[1. Predator's Intimidation]
[Grade: A]
[Type: Passive / Active]
[Description: Releases the aura of a predator who once stood at the top of the food chain.]
[Passive: Instills instinctive fear in monsters and enemies of a lower rank than yourself. Lower-rank monsters will be unable to even approach you.]
[Active: Makes a target lose consciousness simply by meeting your gaze. The weaker the target's mental strength, the greater the effect.]
[2. Gluttony]
[Grade: Unique]
[Type: Active]
[Description: An ability created from the transformation of Bellok's endless gluttony.]
[Effect: Directly devours an enemy's mana or a monster's life energy.]
[When you make physical contact with an opponent or strike them with a weapon, you absorb a certain percentage of their mana and health and convert it into your own.]
[The absorbed energy can be used for immediate recovery or converted into a temporary enhancement of your physical abilities (buff).]
Hong Man-gi looked down at both of his hands.
A new energy was stirring within his palms.
It was the wild, destructive power Bellok had left behind.
Most of the abilities Hong Man-gi had obtained until now had specialized in cooking, healing, and defense.
But the power he had gained this time was clearly intended for attack and domination.
And when he included the abilities of Full Moon?
Hong Man-gi had now obtained power that was overwhelmingly strong for his rank.
'Tear them apart...'
Bellok's final words lingered in his ears.
Hong Man-gi clenched his fists.
Just then, Kang Jae-min cautiously approached him.
"Chef... Are you all right?"
Hong Man-gi gave him a gentle smile.
"Jae-min. Yu-han."
"Yes."
"Let's clean up. Thoroughly."
Reassured by Hong Man-gi's calm voice, the two men picked up cleaning cloths and mops.
While they wiped the floor and straightened the tables, Hong Man-gi's gaze remained fixed not on the restaurant but on the rainy night sky beyond the window.
The rotten roots of the Association, who used Hunters like disposable chess pieces and threw them away to protect their own privileges.
Hong Man-gi muttered inwardly.
'I'm not going to focus on healing alone anymore.'
He looked down at Full Moon.
'After all, you have to cut away the rotten flesh before new flesh can grow.'
