Steam rising warmly from it—
It’s rice.

The dish coated in seasoning is probably kimchi, and the one dusted with white flakes is seaweed.

And… the boiling pot in the aluminum saucepan is soybean paste stew.

Soybean paste stew that I’ve been craving for so long.

Its rich, earthy aroma is exactly as I imagined it would be.

“Sorry, hyung. The side dishes are a bit lacking, huh? Should I fry up an egg too?”

“No, this is a feast as it is.”

“Don’t joke around.”

“I mean it. Now then…”

Picking up a spoon, I scoop up the bubbling soybean paste stew and bring it to my mouth.

The flavor sends shivers down my spine.

It’s so delicious—too delicious.

How long has it been since I last tasted something like this?

As I wolf down my food, I finally notice Yeon-jun staring at me with a face as if he’s seen a monster.

“…Hyung, how many days have you been starving?”

I wasn’t starving.
There was plenty of food in the Demon Realm.

“It’s just been a long time since I had soybean paste stew.”

“Oh, right! You haven’t met Seo-woo yet, have you? Seo-woo!”

The little boy from earlier walked in.

“Did you say hello to your big uncle?”

“Yeah, I already did… But what’s big uncle’s dog’s name?”

“Were you playing with the dog?”

“Yes. It’s so fascinating and cute. What’s its name?”

“Yeoksam.”

“Yeoksam?”

“Yeah.”

Repeating the name “Yeoksam,” Seo-woo shouted, “Yeoksam-ah!” and dashed outside.

Yeon-jun scratched his upper lip awkwardly.

“He’s a bit rowdy, huh? With how busy life is, I don’t have much time to teach him.”

“It’s fine. He’s lively—looks good on him. By the way, when did you have a kid?”

“It’s been a while. Six years now.”

“Six years old?”

“Yeah.”

“What about Seo-woo’s mom?”

“She passed away.”

At Yeon-jun’s calm words, Seo-jun looked up.

His face was as plain as his voice.

“These days, human lives are worth less than a fly’s. It wasn’t much different back then. She died, that’s all.”

The image of the masked man and woman I saw earlier came to mind.

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for, hyung? If anything, I’m the one who’s sorry. Anyway, what happened to you? Where on earth have you been for ten years?”

“Was it ten years?”

“Huh? What was?”

“How long I’ve been gone.”

“Yeah. Since 2020… it’s been exactly ten years.”

Seo-jun chuckled faintly.

Only ten years, huh?
If it were really just ten years, I might even feel relief.

It was on my way home after finishing a part-time job.
An earthquake struck, and a sinkhole appeared.

The bus I was on got swallowed by the sinkhole, and when I woke up, I was in the Demon Realm.

Saying I clawed my way to survival and was eventually called the Demon God might sound too cliché or unbelievable.

“One day, the world just changed. And the scariest thing turned out to be humans.”

Giving a vague explanation, it seemed Yeon-jun pieced it together on his own.

“How did you find your way here? I thought you were dead during the upheaval.”

So they’re calling that earthquake and sinkhole ‘the upheaval.’

I see now.

“Someone helped me.”

“Must’ve been someone kind. But, hyung, why don’t you look older at all? I’ve aged a ton.”

“Yeah, strangely, I haven’t aged.”

Yeon-jun chuckled and glanced at the clock.
It was already five o’clock.

“Hyung, I know you might feel bad since we’re meeting after ten years, but…”

“It’s okay. Say it.”

“I need to head out now.”

“At this hour? Where to?”

“Oh, I run a bar. Gotta keep food on the table.”

“Let me come with you, then. I should earn my meal, at least.”

Seo-woo chimed in, “Yeah, Dad! I wanna go to the bar and play with Hyejin!”

After a moment of thought, Yeon-jun nodded.

“Alright then, let’s go.”

The bar was quite far from home.
About 2.5 kilometers.

On foot, it took a little over an hour.
Even though it was only a 30-minute walk in direct distance, taking detours to avoid gangs made it unavoidable.

Finally, they arrived at the bar.

As Seo-jun stood staring blankly at the signboard, Yeon-jun nudged his shoulder.

“You liked that song, didn’t you?”

I had forgotten about it.
It was a song I used to like.

“Man, your naming sense…”

“What’s wrong with my naming sense? The regulars love it because it’s nostalgic. Let’s go in.”

The bar had double-layered security with shutters and an iron door.

While unlocking the padlock on the iron door, Yeon-jun smiled sheepishly.

“It’s the 12th district. Gotta be careful.”

The bar’s interior was small.
About 15 pyeong—a mix of an oden bar and a tavern.

“It’s nice.”

“Nice? This is the only place I could find for a 3-million-won deposit around here. It’s a bit tucked away and cramped.”

A 3-million-won deposit…
That phrase alone spoke volumes.

The Itaewon shops Seo-jun remembered didn’t have anything for such a low deposit.

Itaewon, now called the 12th district.
A place where a shop could go for 3 million won.

“It’s turned into a slum, huh.”

A slum straight out of a movie.

“You rest. I’ve got to prepare for business.”

I thought of helping but decided against it.
It seemed more important to figure out how the world had changed.

Taking Yeon-jun’s phone, I moved to a corner to avoid disturbing him.

Seo-woo ran up holding Yeoksam in his arms.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking something up.”

“You’re not using Green Search, are you?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow. Uncle, nobody uses Green Search anymore. Everyone uses Ntube these days.”

“Do they?”

“Of course!”

The world had definitely changed.
In many ways.

“By the way, Uncle…”

“Hmm?”

Looking over, I saw Seo-woo stroking Yeoksam.

Oddly, the dog was calm.
It’s not usually this well-behaved…

“Why is Yeoksam named Yeoksam?”

“I wanted to go there.”

“Yeoksam-dong?”

“Yeah.”

“You can go. It’s not even a restricted area.”

“Right. I guess I can.”

With a bitter smile, Seo-jun focused on the phone screen.

Being able to watch videos on anything you wanted to know certainly made it seem like Ntube had replaced traditional search engines.

“It feels like fiction.”

That was his thought about the changed world.

Fiction.

The world had become like a novel.

Awakened individuals, monsters, magic stones…
Things you’d only expect to see in web novels were happening in reality.

“Itaewon is now the 12th district.”

That’s what he learned through his search.

Many slums had sprung up after the upheaval.

The criteria for slums were simple: proximity to sealed channels and gates.

The wealthy still sought complete insulation from danger.

Even if channels and gates were sealed, they weren’t 100% safe.

Naturally, the less affluent gathered near these areas, forming slums.

These areas were reclassified as “districts” instead of “dong” (neighborhoods).

Just like Itaewon became the 12th district.

“Interesting world.”

In some ways, it mirrored the Demon Realm.

A survival-of-the-fittest world.

By those standards, Seo-jun was the strongest.

Even in the Demon Realm, he had made demon kings kneel and earned the title of Demon God.

But his return wasn’t for some trivial title like “the strongest.”

“Ugh!”

“Yeon-jun, is that heavy? Should I help?”

“No, hyung. Really, just rest!”

It was for his brother.

Oh, and one more addition.

“I want snacks! I really want snacks…”

His nephew, Seo-woo.

Nothing else mattered now.

Then—

“What is that smell?”

It was the scent of blood.

Faintly mixed with a hint of gunpowder.

When he stepped outside, a few men were gathered at the bar’s door, chatting.

“That guy’s probably going to claim he doesn’t have the money again.”

“Yeah, but we can’t let him off. That bastard must’ve stashed the money somewhere, I’m sure of it.”

“Then let’s half-kill him.”

“Not a bad idea.”

The men chuckled.

Until someone grabbed the door handle.

“What the hell?”

“Is it you?”

“What, is it us? Do you know who I am, you crazy bastard?”

One of them, with a scar on his forehead, swaggered and pulled back his shirt.

A revolver was tucked at his waist.

A threat?

A show of force?

It didn’t matter.

“Say that again.”

“How much did Yeon-jun borrow?”

“What, you know Yeon-jun?”

“I asked how much he borrowed.”

“Hey, how much did that bastard borrow?”

“Two hundred, boss.”

“You heard that? Two hundred.”

“And what’s the repayment amount?”

“A little under four thousand.”

A two-hundred principal inflated to nearly four thousand—interesting. That’s creative economics for you.

Just then—

“Can’t someone clean up the parasites in the 12th district?”

Though it was a false alarm, the team leader’s face was bright.

A false alarm due to device malfunction—

The relief of going out expecting to die but returning alive… only those who’ve experienced it would understand.

Maybe that’s why—

His usual restraint gave way to meddling.

“Can’t someone clean up the parasites in the 12th district?”

The “parasites” turned their sharp eyes towards him.

Their sinister looks suggested they’d snuff out a life without hesitation. Their scars hinted they had done so many times.

“Mister, you look like someone from the Management Bureau here on a job. Why don’t you mind your business?”

“What if I refuse?”

“Then you’ll have to die.”

Ssshhk.

One of them pulled out a revolver, but the team leader snorted derisively.

“You’re snorting at me?”

“Pfft. Boss, this guy must be out of his mind or have a death wish.”

“Maybe both.”

“Alright, let’s kill him then.”

“Sungsik, handle it. I’m too lazy.”

“Yes, sir!”

The one called Sungsik unslung an axe from his back.

Seo-jun’s eyes gleamed.

A gun versus an axe.

Logically, the former should be more effective at subduing someone.

Yet, the man with the gun turned pale.

“Are… are you with the Bureau?”

“Yeah.”

“I-I didn’t realize! Sorry for the disrespect! Please spare me!”

“Loan shark?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking if you’re a loan shark.”

“Y-Yes!”

“You came here to collect, right? Consider the debt paid with your lives. I’m sure you’ve already made up for it with interest.”

“…”

“What’s with the silence? Feeling regretful?”

“N-No! The debt is paid!”

“It’s settled, then?”

“Yes!”

“Then scram.”

“Thank you!”

The men fled in a panic.

The team leader approached Seo-jun, who had been watching with interest, and said,

“No need to thank me. It’s like they slapped me when I was ready to cry.”

An amusing man.

Someone who handled it all—drum and gong.

Tap-tap.

“They won’t give up easily. If those bastards come back demanding money again, contact me here. I may not look it, but I work for the Bureau.”

“Boss, let’s get going. We got through today safely, so shouldn’t we celebrate?”

“Why go far? Let’s head here.”

“Drinks? The name is pretty old-fashioned, though.”

“What year were you born?”

“2005.”

“You punk. You’re too young to know that legendary song. Tonight’s dinner location is here! If anyone disagrees, step forward now.”

“No objections!”

The team leader and the team members all filed into the store.

Seojun blankly read the business card.

“He's a funny guy.”