CH 76

Chapter 76: The Start of a Hybrid Character

Hyeminnie was lying in a bed inside Asan Hospital’s inpatient ward. She could hear heavy sighs from the gaps in the slightly closed door.

“Sigh... Do you mean that we have no choice but to wait until my child does not feel repulsed by the thought of food?”

“That’s right. Right now, Miss Hyemin is still young so she thinks eating is ‘scary’ after what has happened to her. I think she will gradually be able to accept food as time goes by.”

“When exactly is this ‘gradually’ going to happen? My little girl is now so skinny... Haa, sorry. I’m just extremely frustrated.”

“I understand.”

“It’s hard for my poopy dad too...” Hyemin heaved a small sigh as she looked at her bony arms after hearing her father’s words. She won the battle against leukemia, but a new problem had arisen; Hyemin had been afraid of food after that.

The door opened and her father, Lee Taemin, came inside. He said, “I’m sorry, Hyemin-ah. Daddy has been too busy to spend time with you.”

“It’s okay. Another poopy gave me a ride on his shoulders and played with me.”

“Another poopy?”

“Yep, the poopy is also a strange piggy! He ate dozens of servings of grilled pork belly in the blink of an eye!”

“Ho. So you made a piggy friend, Hyemin-ah?” Lee Taemin asked, believing for a moment that Hyemin really made friends with a real ‘pig’ since what she said was completely impossible if that friend was not a pig.

“But, that poopy piggy, is he really a person though?”

“Huh?” Taemin said dumbly, tilting his head in confusion. ‘So, there’s really someone who can eat as much as what Hyemin said?!’ He was definitely both surprised and in disbelief.

But then, Hyemin said, “But, the poopy piggy is nice!”

“So you really made a friend, that’s good to hear,” Taemin said with a smile. He knew that his daughter was timid. Her lively personality had changed drastically, after struggling against her disease. He was happy to hear that his child had made a friend.

“That’s why I want to go meet with the poopy pig right now!”

“Right now? No way.”

“Hiiiing, but I want to play with poopy pig!”

Taemin thought about it. In the end, he shook his head in defeat. He was extremely grateful to Blacksmith Ron for looking after Hyemin inside the game. He was also very thankful that Hyemin never left the area whenever he left to do his job. So in the end, all he could say was, “Then, you should always be careful when you play.”

“Yep!” Hyemin said as she entered the capsule that was placed in her ward.

Lee Taemin’s nickname in the game was Hyemin’sDaddy. He had received the class ‘Hepas’ Descendant’, and was able to become rich by making and auctioning his artifacts, including the Dragon Sword. This was also the reason why they were able to get a special inpatient ward in the hospital.

“I’m going to have to give them something in return for this,” Taemin said, deeply regretting leaving his child alone in the game. He felt like a bad father. It did not mean that Taemin wanted to leave her alone. He had always tried to have someone beside her to take care of her, whenever he went around to find something that could help cure her illness. However, Hyeminnie had said every time that she hated them and refused to let them stay beside her. Strangely enough, she liked staying with Blacksmith Ron. Thankfully, Ron also liked her so Taemin felt more at ease leaving her in that village. And now, there was this new ‘poopy pig’ friend that his daughter made. Taemin felt grateful towards them so he wanted to do something for them in return.

‘What can I do for them?’

***

Hyeminnie logged back in the game only to see Minhyuk finish cooking. She hid at one corner, watching him eat his kimchi fried rice. She thought, ‘I’m sure... Poopy pig is a pig that’s pretending to be a person!’

Hyeminnie was hiding to see if Minhyuk was really a pig! She thought that Minhyuk would suddenly turn into a pig and scream ‘Oink, oink, oink!’ like all the other pigs. However, the more Hyeminnie watched Minhyuk eat, the more she got mesmerized by the food. She looked at him in a daze as she thought, ‘Me too... I also like... Kimchi fried rice…..’

She loved the kimchi fried rice that her dad used to make, despite his sloppy skills! However, she still hesitated. She thought, ‘No way! Hyeminnie will get sick if she eats!’. Despite thinking that way, Hyeminnie still continued to watch blankly as the poppy piggy ate his kimchi fried rice. He was chewing as if it was the most delicious thing in the world. He had a wide smile and a happy expression on his face.

“It’s really, really delicious~” Minhyuk sang to himself. Hyeminnie gulped when she heard him. Strangely enough, Hyeminnie did not feel sick even though she was watching him eat.

‘Hyeminnie is… is feeling strange... I, I feel comfy!’

She never felt this way before. Although, the more she watched Minhyuk eat, the more nervous she became. She thought, ‘No! Stop eating! This piggy!’

Hyeminnie kept on gulping and wiping her saliva as she watched Minhyuk eat. In the end, she could not resist temptation and ran out upon seeing that there were only a few spoonfuls left. She exclaimed, “This poopy!”

“Huh?” The poopy piggy asked dumbly as he looked at Hyeminnie’s outstretched hand blankly.

Hyeminnie said, “Give me a bite too!”

“N…no way!”

“You ate all of my chocolate before!”

“...That’s true. Well. It can’t be helped then,” The poopy piggy lamented as he handed her a spoon with great hesitation. Then, Hyeminnie scooped half a spoonful of kimchi fried rice while Minhyuk placed a piece of the fried egg on top of it.

Minhyuk said, “This is how you should eat it.”

“Heh...” Hyeminnie chuckled as she carefully brought the spoon in her mouth.

Hyeminnie always felt sick whenever she tried to eat. She found it painful even, and would always get sick whenever she tried to do so. During the treatment, her hair fell out, her body became weak, and she was riddled with pain. That was why she never ate. However, when Hyeminnie saw the poopy piggy eat, she started to wonder if eating could make her happy. She found it strange. So, Hyeminnie decided to muster her courage for the last time as she chomped on a spoonful of kimchi fried rice. The flavor of the kimchi fried rice spread in her tiny mouth. It tasted good, a bit sweet, a bit spicy, but it was so good.

“Huh? This is strange...”

“What’s strange?”

“I always get sick after eating, but right now, I’m feeling fine... I even vomited and lost my hair before, but now I feel good!”

“Of course! Delicious food is the best. Now, repeat after me! Delicious food is the best!”

“Delicious food is the best!” Hyemin said, eating another spoonful of kimchi fried rice. Then, a second, and a third. Hyeminnie continued to eat.

Then, someone suddenly gasped, causing Minhyuk to turn around to look at who it was. It was a middle-aged man wearing what seemed to be a novice’s shabby attire. The man walked inside the smithy before bursting out in tears. He fell down in front of Hyeminnie as if he had lost all strength in his legs before hugging her tightly. He said, “You’re finally eating... You finally ate! Hyemin, you finally ate something! Sob, sob!”

The man continued to weep for a while more, before turning to look towards the poopy piggy, ah no, he meant Minhyuk. Then, he bowed his head and exclaimed, “Thank you! Thank you! Truly, thank you! Sob!”

“...?”

***

“...?”

Minhyuk looked at the man in bewilderment. Ron had told him before that Hyeminnie did not want to eat anything. However, the girl had approached him to eat his kimchi fried rice. Then, a sloppily-dressed, novice-like user suddenly appeared and bowed towards him? He could not make heads or tails of the situation that he was in.

‘I was just enjoying my delicious kimchi fried rice, though?’

“This, this is enough!” The man said. Hyeminnie’s body had continued to weaken even after her treatment. Of course, it was because one needed to eat well and regain their energy and vitality. However, Hyeminnie never regained her strength since she would not eat. Now, the man could be at ease. Although she only ate her first spoonfuls, the man was confident that she would start to eat again and she would get better!

“Ah, I’ve been rude,” Hyemin’sDaddy said. He was so happy that he forgot that he was showing something unsightly towards a complete stranger. Then, he continued to say, “I heard that my daughter was playing with a pig, ah, no, someone. That’s you, right?”

“Ah, yes. I played with her and let her ride on my shoulders last time.”

“I’m Hyemin’sDaddy.”

“That’s what it looks like to me too.”

“No, that’s my nickname.”

“I see.”

“I want to repay you for your kindness.”

“I didn’t do anything...” Minhyuk said, looking confused. What did he do for the man to repay him? He only ate his food deliciously! His expression gradually relaxed after hearing Hyeminnie’s dad explain their situation. He told her about her leukemia, how she got treated, and even what happened after that. Minhyuk listened to everything and could not help but empathize with the child.

‘She couldn’t eat any food due to the after effects of her treatment...’

Minhyuk could not eat any real food in reality because of his eating addiction, so he could somehow relate to Hyeminnie when he heard that she would not eat because she was scared of getting sick again. It also made him sad. He thought, ‘I just ate well… I can’t believe that it turned in a good direction. That’s a relief.’

Hyemin’sDaddy smiled at Minhyuk. He thought, ‘I’d like to tell him who I am.’

There was one rule for all of the members of the Legend Guild. ‘Don’t ever reveal who you are.’. However, Hyemin’sDaddy felt like he could trust this man, Minhyuk, in front of him. Also, it was only natural for him to introduce himself properly since he wanted to repay Minhyuk for his kindness. So, he said, “I’m a blacksmith. I’m pretty famous too. Have you heard of the Dragon Sword?”

“Ah, I’ve heard of that!” Minhyuk said, nodding his head enthusiastically.

Hyemin’sDaddy thought that he would be much more surprised when he heard that he was the one who made that artifact. After all, the Dragon Sword was the greatest artifact that had ever been auctioned! It also had the most powerful attack power and options that had not been seen before.

Just then, Minhyuk quipped, “I think that the Dragon Sword should be a good artifact to use to cut a cow’s bones, since other knives can’t cut them well!”

“...Eh?” Hyemin’sDaddy asked dumbly in confusion. The Dragon Sword, just like its name, was made with the intention to kill a dragon since dragon scales had the ability to repel attacks. But… What did he just hear?

“C, cut a cow’s bones...?”

“Yes. My attack power is not enough to cut through a cow’s bones without any help from a machine. If you cut a cow’s bone and cook it, I think it will be fun to eat. When I heard about the Dragon Sword, I thought that it’s the best thing that I can use to cut the cow’s bones.”

“Ah, yes... Is…is that so?”

‘My goodness! There’s someone who actually wants to use the Dragon Sword to cut through a cow’s bone!’

Hyemin’sDaddy thought that it was something incomprehensible. He then tried to calm himself down before saying, “I’m the one who made the Dragon Sword. I have the god class, Hepas’ Descendant.”

“I see.”

“...You look calmer than expected.”

“That’s not it, I’m reaaaaaaaally surprised!” Minhyuk said. He was really interested since this was the first time that he had met a player with a god class, like himself.

Hyemin’sDaddy said, “I want to make an artifact for you. You can just say anything that you want.”

Hyemin’sDaddy smiled softly at him. Right now, he had the Gryphon’s Spirit in his hands. This was a priceless material for artifact making. Using a variety of other things together with his superb skill, he would definitely make a special artifact just for him. Hyemin’sDaddy thought, ‘Will he ask for a sword? Or maybe armor?’

Every player was the same. They really liked swords with high attack power and good abilities. The same goes for armor or any other weapons or protective artifacts. It went without saying that the artifacts that he, Hepas’ Descendant, made, were even more highly sought after. All of his artifacts had the name‘Hepas’ attached in front of it. That alone proved his tremendous brand value. Even their lives would not be enough to pay for any of the artifacts that he could produce. So, Hyemin’sDaddy wondered what Minhyuk would ask him to make.

“C…can I really ask you to make me anything I want?” Minhyuk asked. He looked extremely excited.

Hyemin’sDaddy nodded in agreement. He would definitely give his all to produce whatever artifact this young man wanted. After all, he was their benefactor. Hyemin’sDaddy was a simple man, without greed for anything else. He only wanted his daughter to grow up healthy, strong and energetic. That was why he was extremely thankful for what Minhyuk had done for them. He would definitely do what he asked for. He said, “Yes. I’ll do anything for you.”

“I…is that so?! Even if it’s something that’s extremely amazing and hard to make?”

“It’s fine. Please, feel free to tell me what you like,” Hyemin’sDaddy said, focusing his attention on Minhyuk’s open mouth.

Minhyuk looked like he was asking, ‘Can I really ask you to make something like this?’ as he opened his mouth to say, “Please make me... a pan.”

“...Eh?” Hyemin’sDaddy asked. For a moment, he doubted his ears. No, he wanted to deny what he had heard.

“Please make me a frying pan that can help me make well-seasoned stir fried pork! Ah, is it too difficult...? I mean, it’s something really amazing after all!”

“...”

Hyemin’sDaddy was left speechless for a moment. However, Minhyuk thought that he was lost for words because the thing that he asked of him was something really amazing, and difficult to produce.

‘Well, it’s a frying pan that can help me cook stir fried pork, or ribs well whenever I cook! I think it’s not easy to make something like that since it’s something extraordinary! Maybe it’s a really difficult request?’

Then, Hyemin’s father suddenly said, “You don’t even want something like… no, no. Not even a sword, or armor, or a staff? Phew. You really just want a frying pan?”

“Yeeees!”

“Are you sure?”

Nod, nod━

“Really?”

Nod, nod━

“You don’t want something that can increase your attack or magic power, not even something that can increase your recovery. Just something that can help you make more delicious stir fried pork?”

Nod, nod━

Then Minhyuk added, “Ah, if possible, can you make it so that whenever I make vegetable pancakes, there’s a function where the ends will turn brownish and crispy, when I fry or grill them? That would be great!”

Hyemin’sDaddy looked at him blankly as he muttered to himself, “Should I slap him with a frying pan...?”

“Sorry, did you say something?”

“No, nothing. Phew... I understand. A frying pan... that could help you cook better…. stir fried pork... and... make the ends of the vegetable pancakes crispy and golden brown...” Hyemin’sDaddy spoke mechanically as if he was forced to read a Korean language book in class.

“Wow. Something this amazing is really possible? Can you really make something this amazing?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Will you really give something like this to me?”

“Yes, I don’t like the idea of making something so weird, but I’ll do it for you,” Hyemin’sDaddy said as he scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

“Thank you. Really, thank you so much!” Minhyuk said, jumping in joy as if Hyemin’sDaddy had saved the whole world.

However, Hyemin’sDaddy was staring blankly into space, thinking, ‘I’m... going to make a frying pan... my pride.... as Hepas’ Descendant…..’. Then, he stood up weakly to start making this frying pan.