Dinner was taken by boat.

“This is the boat we’re taking.”

“Oh.”

Romantic young Geo’s heart raced.

‘We’re going to the restaurant via a waterway…’

It felt like we were in Venice.

“It’s a unique sight, with roads and waterways all together.”

“Is that so? Well, they say there were almost no waterways in South Korea before the great disaster.”

“Why did they come into existence?”

Thump.

Geo asked as he followed Yoo Seong-un onto the water taxi.

“You’d need a lot of water to make a waterway.”

“I’m against it from the start. They didn’t bring water to make a waterway, they just made a waterway to control the water that was too much.”

“Are you saying there was that much water?”

“The water level is quite high compared to the height of the country.”

It was so high that they couldn’t have endured it if they didn’t make a waterway. How far will this hellish Republic of Korea go?

Yoo Seong-woon continued his explanation.

“Most areas are still unexplored by humans, but there are so many dungeons and monsters that come out of them. I’ve heard that the water level has risen because the volume of the ocean has physically increased.”

“That would be hard with just one or two monsters.”

How many and how big of monsters must have settled on Earth for it to be unbearable without creating waterways?

Yoo Seong-woon opened his mouth, understanding Geo’s question.

“There are many underwater monsters that are easily larger than a building.”

“I see.”

“There aren’t just one monster, but many different types of monsters, so the water level must have risen compared to before the Great Disaster. Actually, I heard that our country wasn’t a place where the sea water rose this much….”

“How do you manage the sea water that has risen in the provinces?”

“I know that they dug the canals so that they wouldn’t have a big negative impact on farming or other living. They say they built various ways to prevent the saltwater from seeping into the land, but since they don’t have as much capital as the city… they can’t farm near the canals, right?”

“…….”

“That’s why the areas where seawater flows in excessively have been fishing instead of farming from the beginning. Some fish from famous areas are even imported to the city.”

Despite this situation, it seems like everyone has found a way to survive.

‘Human adaptability is incredible.’

Anyway, Geo was nervous.

‘I should stick to portraits.’

Now, Earth has become a world where it’s hard to survive with just romance, passion, and hope without actual military force.

How tough do you have to be to live in this tough world while paying rent every month? Geo was sure that it would be a level he couldn’t even dream of.

“I think you said that the restaurant itself floats on the water.”

“Actually, it’s not really floating, but rather a restaurant built on a small island….”

“I heard it’s inside the Han River.”

Jio asked as he sat down in the taxi.

“Was there an island there originally?”

I know that there was a small island like Nodeul Island 31 years ago. However, Yoo Seong-woon said that there was only one restaurant without any other land, so I wondered how that location came about.

Yoo Seong-woon answered without difficulty.

“That’s because that’s where the fixed dungeon used to be.”

“…Fixed dungeon?”

“…Oh, you don’t know much about dungeons?”

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Judging by Jio’s bewildered face, he must have thought that he would know. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case in reality.

In the blink of an eye, Geo became the ancestor of 31 years ago and was eliminated because he failed to develop with the changing times.

‘How did I, who instilled sociality in the sprouts of the Republic of Korea, end up like this?’

Kids, I miss you, Teacher.

Thankfully, Yoo Seong-woon quickly returned to his original indifferent expression and began explaining.

“Dungeons are usually divided into fixed and mobile types. There are dungeons that are literally fixed in one place and dungeons that move with their own rules. In the case of fixed dungeons, they even create terrain that didn’t exist in the place before.”

“Then is the restaurant we’re going to now also built on terrain that was created like that?”

“Oh, that’s the restaurant theme from the beginning. The dungeon there was related to cooking, and it was a dungeon that was conquered because it was moved by the food of a regular chef who was not a hunter but was dragged there by chance.”

“Aha.”

The narrative was very moving.

“A grand restaurant remains in the location where the conquest was completed, and the chef who participated in the conquest at that time is said to have inherited and run the restaurant. He is already 92 years old, but he is still active in the field.”

“92 years old?”

“You think he’s long-lived for a human?”

Yoo Seong-woon laughed once and continued.

“He must have been less affected by his age since he awakened as a chef after conquesting the dungeon. He must have also received assistance from skills and items. If you look at him in person, he probably looks like he’s in his 50s.”

“…….”

“He often participates in national conquests and takes charge of his teammates’ meals. That means his basic combat skills are not bad. I’ve never seen him in person, but I heard his main weapon is a baseball bat with nails.”

“A baseball bat….”

“Unexpected? I knew how to use a kitchen knife. But they interviewed him and asked how he could use a knife used for cooking to cut monsters. I guess chefs have ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ different minds.”

“Oh.”

He seemed to know what was going on, but Geo was still nervous. Humanity had become stronger.

“Do Awakened people age faster?”

“As far as I know, most of them do. At least if they’re C-class or higher hunters.”

“I guess the standard for a good hunter starts at C-class….”

“The average reality or perception itself is like that.”

It was a truly scary world.

‘What Grandma said was never wrong. Let’s always live humbly and politely.’

I didn’t want to live a normal life and be exorcised by a possessed portrait.

Geo was worried.

‘I also need to come up with a good survival strategy. If the portrait burns down, what will happen to my cabin? And I can’t prevent all the misfortunes just by being diligent…’

But I didn’t want to pass as a human and go back to living on Earth.

“What are you thinking?”

“I was thinking that Earth is a scary place.”

“Huh…?”

It was really scary.

“Why are you suddenly scared, when you’re not even a target for subjugation?”

“That’s true.”

But conversely, if you become a target for subjugation, your limbs could be torn apart.

‘I’m fine with this now.’

Is there a way to maintain the status of a possessed portrait while not being criticized or attacked by people?

Geo decided to think about it for his own comfortable survival.

“…….”

First, he ate some food.

“…It smells good.”

“Yeah, I can’t even see the restaurant. Isn’t it strange?”

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“Is this the only smell that comes from this canal?”

“I think I’ve heard that it’s some kind of public relations strategy.”

“I understand.”

The waterway that gave off a pleasantly pleasant smell from afar was amazing, but what was even more amazing was that the scent of the sea and the scent of food were separated.

‘… The scent of the sea in the middle of the city… .’

When I lowered my head a little, I could only smell the scent of the sea. It was the scent of seawater that stabbed my brain sharply.

I felt nostalgic.

“…….”

Geo leaned closer to the water surface.

“Geo, it seems dangerous.”

“I liked the scent of the sea, so I sniffed for a moment.”

Geo’s voice became much gentler as he immersed himself in old memories.

“It’s amazing that the scent of the sea comes from a waterway connected to the Han River.”

“Of course, unless it’s a mountain, all the rivers and waterways in places like this are strongly mixed with seawater….”

“Is that so?”

Giovanni liked this scent.

The scent of the sea.

“…….”

The scent of a mermaid.

“…Once….”

I wanted to dive deep into that place.

It was heartbreaking.

“Geo, stop.”

“…….”

“…The driver is flustered too.”

At those words, Geo looked at the water taxi driver.

“…….”

He looked at Geo with an extremely flustered face, as if he was a little scared.

“…I see.”

Geo admitted that he had been rude.

“I’m sorry, I was curious because it was my first time on a waterway like this.”

“I was worried you might get hurt, I’m not angry, so it’s okay.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Yoo Seong-woon was ‘worried,’ but the driver’s face looked closer to ‘fear,’ but Geo decided to just ignore it without thinking. It was natural to be scared when the passenger you were carrying was about to fall into the water.

‘Like a customer who suddenly opens the door and tries to jump off the highway…’

Jio was successfully convinced.

‘If that’s not the case, then I must have been giving off a strange vibe again.’

Just like I often did at Yoo Seong-woon’s company without realizing it.

Jio sat down quietly again. He was reflecting on the fact that he had caused trouble while being distracted by the strange waterway.

Yoo Seong-woon, who was observing him, hesitated with a face that seemed to say, ‘Can I ask this?’ and then asked carefully.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

“Do you like the sea?”

“…Yes?”

No? Not really?

“I don’t really like it.”

“But just now, at Cheonggyecheon and in the waterway, I think you particularly like the scent of the sea. Of course, I’m sorry if I was mistaken.”

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“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I don’t hate the sea, but I don’t like it either….”

Jio quickly changed his words after saying that.

“…I think so.”

“Huh?”

“I think I’m ordinary, but I like it.”

It was strange, but it wasn’t wrong. ‘Gio’ didn’t have much feelings for the sea, but ‘Giovanni’ didn’t.

So when asked ‘Do you like the sea?’, Geo had no choice but to say ‘Nenio.’ Since both were his own thoughts, it was hard to deny either one.

However, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

“Are there mermaids here too?”

“…mermaids.”

Meanwhile, Yoo Seong-woon sensed the strangeness he had felt at Cheonggyecheon once more.

‘Here too, I said for sure.’

Geo had some kind of connection with mermaids.

It seemed like that.

“Hmm….”

Yoo Seong-un, who had been pondering for a moment, slowly nodded.

“Sometimes, monsters of that kind pop up. Even if they’re not monsters… there are beings that have that kind of appearance.”

“…….”

“Since idol worship, legends, and myths can create real monsters, monsters related to mermaids pop up all over the Earth.”

“Is that so?”

“The story of the ‘Little Mermaid’ by a very old writer is a famous fairy tale.”

Little Mermaid.

Geo fell into thought again at the appearance of the familiar word. It was about ‘Giovanni’s’ request.

‘Come to think of it, there was something related to the Little Mermaid during the quest.’

But he decided to leave it alone for now.

“I think we’re almost there. It’s a fancy restaurant.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“It’s a building that’s more wonderful than I imagined, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Originally, it wasn’t something to worry about at the dinner table.

A luxurious restaurant that seemed to be made of a mixture of ivory and marble.

Although it was beautifully decorated like a castle, the structure was inefficient with several rooms, stairs, and lobbies that felt like they weren’t made by humans.

But that strangeness ironically solidified the concept of this restaurant.

“…….”

White, pink, lime green, sky blue.

The soft pastel colors that were spread out like a patchwork based on ivory made people feel hazy as if they were in a dream.

It was crazy beautiful.

“There’s something I didn’t get to ask you earlier….”

And in the meantime, Yoo Seong-un and Geo’s party took over the cream-colored table.

Geo asked as he sat down.

“Didn’t you say this was made from the remains of a fixed-type dungeon?”

“Huh? That’s right.”

“Then, does a fixed dungeon leave behind terrain or buildings like this even after it has been cleared? Is that the kind of dungeon that leaves behind this land and restaurant?”

“Ahhhh… Oh, right. That’s what it feels like.”

Perhaps thinking that it would be best to clear up all the doubts before the full meal came out, Yoo Seong-woon explained with his characteristically innocent smile.

“There are various types of dungeons, apart from fixed and mobile ones. They are usually divided into virtual dungeons, villa dungeons, and entry dungeons.”

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“There are three?”

“Actually, there are more than that, but these three are the representative dungeons.”

Yoo Seong-woon continued his explanation while folding his fingers.

“In the case of a virtual dungeon, the game progresses in a virtual world by capturing people who meet arbitrary conditions without clear boundaries. For example, the game progresses on a game board that is implemented similarly to a convenience store, with the condition of 10 men in their 30s who stop by the convenience store at 9 p.m. sharp.”

“It sounds extremely unreasonable.”

“That’s right, other hunters are also very troubled by this part. How many of those men in their 30s are suitable for dungeon raiding? Virtual dungeons appear quite rarely, but they are difficult to identify and cause great damage, so they are one of the concerns of modern people.”

I wonder if the world where this is called a ‘worry of modern people’ is a bit creepy.

Yoo Seong-woon, who didn’t know Geo was completely shocked by his degenerated facial muscles, continued his explanation calmly.

“Next is the villa dungeon. Some random terrain and rules appear on Earth.”

“Is that the case of this restaurant?”

“I think I understand. As you said, this restaurant building was created as part of the villa dungeon. Originally, there was nothing there, but a restaurant suddenly appeared in the middle of the Han River.”

Yoo Seong-woon rolled his eyes as if recalling a memory.

“As far as I know, this restaurant isn’t just a restaurant that was built on top of a newly created terrain. It’s an overly long restaurant with a basement that’s deep enough to reach the bottom of the river. However, since the only part that’s visible above the water is the restaurant, it’s called a ‘restaurant floating on water’….”

He nodded and continued.

“In this way, the villa dungeon is like an alien-dimensional villa suddenly being built on Earth. Since it’s already been replaced by that terrain, it can’t be restored. That’s why most villa dungeons remain the same even after you complete the strategy once they appear, with only the rules gone. It’s up to the Earthlings to figure out how to deal with and utilize them.”

“…….”

“Is the last one an entry dungeon? This is similar to a game. I wonder what kind of game you know and what kind of game it is….”

Yoo Seong-woon said, shaking his last finger.

“A virtual dungeon with no physical boundaries at all, unlike a villa dungeon where the boundaries themselves exist but are vague. It’s a case where you can advance to another dimension by entering through a passageway that just appears.”

“Aha….”

It certainly looked like a dimensional gate that you often see in games. A game where there’s just a gate, but you can enter and move to another map. Geo completely understood.

As usual, Yoo Seong-woon continued speaking kindly and casually.

“However, there are few cases of using the remains of a dungeon as a restaurant like this one.”

“It’s unique and good, but it’s surprising. Why don’t you use it this way?”

“Humans are timid creatures.”

Are you going to keep treating me like a haunted portrait, hyung?

“There could be problems if we let ordinary people in, and there aren’t many people who are big enough to live there and utilize the dungeon’s remains, and above all, the remaining remains are quite selective… so we usually just demolish them.”

“Do they discriminate?”

“Or do they make you shiver when someone they don’t like comes in?”

“It’s like a haunted house.”

The haunted portrait said.

“…….”

Yes, Geo was actually acknowledging his own identity.

‘Well, normal people don’t build huts and live inside portraits to heal themselves.’

Geo, who had no intention of strongly claiming to be human anyway, made an excuse.

“…I don’t make you shiver.”

“Yeah, yeah, Geo is a human. Right?”

“Yes.”

He was so grateful that he was like a 4-year-old cousin, that he almost cried.