# Chepter 011

Sullungtang is a stew made out of a cow's head, intestines and bones. This is one of my favorite foods.

“Ugh, a bowl of sullungtang would be perfect when my whole body aches like this,” I said to myself. Should I try it?

It was then, when I started boiling bones of demonic beasts that I used to throw away and drink them.

“Oh. This one’s not too greasy, but very savory.”

After numerous trials and errors, I succeeded in finding bones that taste like the one I was looking for. But there was one more problem.

“Damn. No radish kimchi here.”

***

There was a weird dagger dropped by now flapping Minsuk from pain, and Gyungho picked it up in curiosity. He then made a small astonished gasp.

“I knew it,” said Gyungho.

[Is it anything special?] asked Snowball at the dagger.

“Yeah, I saw something like this earlier. You feel it too, right? It has an unnatural flow of demonic energy radiating from it,” said Gyungho.

[Now that you say it, yes. I can sense it.] Snowball answered as he began to sniff and added. [And this smell…?]

Snowball was sniffing in Minsuk's pant’s pocket.

“Why? Did he pee on his pants?”

[I smell the blood of a demonic beast from his pocket.]

Gyungho reached down and searched his pocket. There were a few red candies inside.

“It sure doesn’t look like ordinary strawberry flavored candies, I suppose. What is it?” asked Gyungho. He then licked the candy with his tongue. It had salty, but a fishy taste to it. He knew this taste.

“Blood of Spiked Mane Snake,” said Gyungho.

Gyungho had spent ten years surviving from the meat or blood of demonic beasts at the Spiritual Realm, which made him possible to do this. He was like a Sommelier of Demonic Beasts.

[How do you know that by doing that? It’s amazing,] said Snowball.

“Why was this in his pocket though?”

[Humans consume those as health supplements. It’s like the red ginseng juice that used to be popular.]

“Blood is less toxic than meat or bones, but it's still dangerous if overdosed. Are there any side effects?” asked Gyungho, to which Snowball looked at Minsuk.

[We have found one side effect at least.]

“Anyway, I’ll bring this guy to the police station.”

[Yes. I’ll work on his memory so he will only remember until he gets here.]

Snowball walked up to Minsuk and placed his small paw over Minsuk’s head. Gyungho then added with a bitter look.

“Please do it for mom too,” said Gyungho. Snowball nodded.

[Don’t worry. You can go ahead now.]

“Yeah.”

Gyungho grabbed Minsuk by his collar and put him on the shoulder and disappeared like magic.

***

After dumping Minsuk at the front of the police station, Gyungho stopped by the Hunter’s Market again. It was to buy ingredients for some food to help replenish Snowball who had worked hard to protect Jisook.

“And it will help mom’s recovery too. I hope they have some Ironhorn Bull’s bones.”

Gyungho then went to the left alley, where products of demonic beasts were being sold.

“Oh. They should have what I’m looking for at this rate,” said Gyungho, looking around a large market. It was a huge place.

At the Spiritual Realm, Gyungho considered by-products as tasty ones and not tasty ones, but on Earth, they were categorized into its usefulness.

Was it capable of making weapons out of it? Was there a business value to it? All of it came down to money. As with the rule of capitalism, the area near the entrance of the alley was filled with stores that sell tooth, nails, claws and such expensive by-products.

“Pass. But they are so expensive. Wow, that’s insane!” said Gyungho as he saw a certain price tag. Gyungho said in disbelief, “500 Million won? For that?”

It was a price tag put on the steel claw of a giant saber-toothed tiger, a Saw-Edged Tiger.

“If that’s 500 million won, I can’t imagine how much it will cost for their fangs,” said Gyungho.

He used to throw them away because they smelled horrible to eat. After passing some fancy stores, Gyungho found a more familiar look of a bazaar that was filled with shabby stores.

“Here, here! I have some fresh meat from demonic beasts! Five thousand won per pound! It’s almost free! It’s good for your health and your kids!”

“Bones for arrowheads!”

“Bones for Magien ingredients!”

It was hard to understand exactly everything they were referring to, but Gyungho found out that bones and meats were categorized depending on whether stores had a freezer or not.

There were some who were selling bones and meat in a giant freezer, while some other stores just piled them up in a big bucket.

“That’s so expensive, and that’s so cheap. What’s the difference?”

Gyungho couldn’t understand the standard for prices.

“Sir, is the bone you sell different from the one at that store?” asked Gyungho at an owner of a store. The man who was calling for customers scanned Gyungho from top to bottom and answered.

“You’re at the market and you don’t know that?”

“I’m just here for a tour. But I got curious. I’m sorry to bother you while you’re busy,” said Gyungho politely.

The owner became ashamed and became polite.

“No, no. That’s quite alright. Nine out of ten visitors are tourists, after all. So, uh. You asked me why it’s different from the bones they sell over there?” asked the owner. He then pointed at the sign that said 2,500 won per pound and added, “Bones there aren’t durable or toxic like that from higher class demonic beasts, but it's still usable for arrowheads and various throwing weapons.”

“Ah.”

These bones were durable enough with enough toxicity that although they cannot be used to make a full weapon, they were valuable ingredients for such use.

“Then what are these for?” asked Gyungho at the bones the owner was selling.

“They are popular among crafters. It’s cheap and light,” said the owner.

These bones were similar to a cheaper variant of ‘Ivory,’ so to speak. And it was actually the ingredient for cook Gyungho was looking for.

“This is a leg bone of Ironhorn Bull right?” asked Gyungho, picking up an arm sized bone.

The owner was surprised.

“How did you know? I thought you were just looking around?”

“Hahaha. I just like Ironhorn Bulls. That’s all,” said Gyungho. He didn’t have reasons to come up with, so he just talked whatever that came to his mind.

“Oh- uh, I see,” said the owner.

“I’ll have this.”

“Sure, of course.”

And like that, Gyungho returned home with the leg bone of Ironhorn Bull.

***

When Gyungho got back to the store, bloodstains were gone and the store was clean.

[What is that on your hand?] asked Snowball, watching the plastic bag that contained the leg bone of Ironhorn Bull. He instinctively wagged his tail.

“I bought it so I can cook some good food for the hard work you’ve done today. Where’s mom?”

[I erased her memory of meeting Minsuk. She looks well,] said Snowball.

“Thanks. Here, have this while you wait,” said Gyungho.

He then picked out a fist sized bone from the plastic bag and threw it at Snowball.

[Do you think I’m some kind of a dog… N-no. My leg is betraying me.]

Snowball, although his head was turned, his feet were reaching for the bone that Gyungho threw. He then eventually ran and began munching on the bone.

[Um. Don’t look at me like that. Polymorphing into a puppy seemed to strengthen my instinct.]

“Yeah, yeah. I didn’t say anything.”

Gyungho grinned at Snowball and went into the kitchen.

“It’s better to drain the poisonous blood completely in the running water overnight, but I don’t have time for that,” said Gyungho.

He then grabbed the thick large bone with both hands, and broke it easily into half. He then pointed to the broken part below and began pulling up the mana. Pure white mana absorbed into the bone, and soon, dark water began dripping down into the sink. It was a poisonous blood that contained thick blood that made a terrible smell.

“Well then, Let’s cook it up.”

Gyungho took out a giant pot and filled it with water, and put in the bones that he snapped into two. Then he grabbed the middle of the pot with both hands and began to shake it.

“Mir always told me I was wasting my energy on such a pointless thing, but there’s nothing more important than eating! We all do this to eat and live, after all.”

Mana began covering up the pot, and the pot heated up beginning from the point where Gyungho’s hand was touching. It wasn’t just boiling the water, but the mana was absorbing into the bones, so that it began to brew quickly within the pot.

Soon, a thick and savory smell began spreading from the pot. Sullongtang usually took over a half day of boiling, but Gyungho’s enormous mana made it possible to shorten the time. Just like Mir said, it was a waste of energy and talent.

“That should be it,” said Gyungho as he put down the pot and picked out bones. Bones have brewed completely that it now had become light as a sponge.

“I don’t want mom asking what bones these are.”

Gyungho then crushed bones with his hands into powder, and threw it into the trash. Then he skimmed the surface to remove oil.

“Alright, it’s done.”

It just needed some glass noodles, green onions, salts, and peppers. Snowball, who had a good sense of smell, came running into the kitchen.

[Did you perhaps boil the demonic beast bones from earlier?]

“Yeah. It’s for you and mom. It’s tasty but also good for your body too.”

That’s when Gyungho sensed movement from inside the room. Jisook was awake.

“Oh? What’s this smell?” Jisook asked in a curious voice as she opened the door.

“Son, when did I fall asleep here?”

“Oh, I found you sleeping by the table, so I moved you to the room,” said Gyungho. He was a bit surprised at the sudden question, but calmly made up an explanation.

“I see. I am easily tired recently. I suppose I fell asleep while playing with Snowball. So, what is that in the pot?” asked Jisook.

“It’s finished. Go get yourself a table, Miss Seo. Snowball, stay with mom.”

“What is it?” asked Jisook.

Gyungho pushed Jisook onto the table.

“Don’t worry and sit down. It’s time for dinner already,” said Gyungho. He then took out three bowl pots, put in glass noodles and poured the stew onto it and lit the fire on the stove.

Gyungho became reminiscent as he watched the Ironhorn Bull Stew he made.

‘Ah, I wished for that glass noodle so much,’

Glass noodle, made from sweet potato starch was something that he could never get his hands on at the Spiritual Realm. Delicious sound and savory smell filled the entire store. Gyungho finished the stew with chopped green onions and salts, prepared a bowl of rice and kimchi and went out to the hall.

“This is sullungtang that I brewed for my precious mom,” said Gyungho as he brought out the tray.

Jisook was surprised.

“What, you made sullungtang all by yourself?”

“Of course. It’s for your health. I removed oils too,” said Gyungho as he laid out food on the table. The deep white broth that had a savory smell proved that it was very well made.

“But you didn’t have time for that… how did you boil it so thick?”

“Oh, uh.”

Gyungho couldn’t say that he cracked open the bone to remove the poison with mana, then boiled it also with his mana to make it thick like this.

“Hahaha. Come on, mom. How about a compliment instead of questions?”

“Alright. Why don’t we try the sullungtang that my son bought for me then?”

“I didn’t buy it. Anyway, try it.”

“Wait, we’re missing something,” said Jisook suddenly. She then got up from the seat.

Gyungho checked on the table again. Well made steamed rice, with a bowl full of sullungtang and mom’s tasty kimchi. This was a perfect dinner table.

“What’s wrong?”

Gyungho became curious, when Jisook went over to the kitchen and came back with something on a dish.

“Oh!”

Gyungho let out a gasp and nodded in astonishment.

“Son, add that soup if you want it spicier.”

“Right. Oh, I missed this so much.”

It was the radish kimchi deliciously placed on a dish. Gyungho smiled and nodded.