The establishment was as quiet as usual, with not many customers occupying the seats.

Even so, Yeon-jun was running around busily.

"Boss, another draft beer over here!"

"Yes! Coming right up!"

"Boss, where's the dried pollack? I ordered it earlier."

"Yes, yes. Just a moment!"

"Boss, could I get a fried egg as well?"

"Fried egg? Got it!"

It was all thanks to Choi Sungkyun and his team members.

Watching this, Seo-jun rolled up his sleeves.

"I'll take care of the cooking."

"No, you should rest."

"I'm getting restless just sitting around."

Yeon-jun hesitated for a moment, scratching his philtrum.

"Alright, then. Please take care of it. The recipes are posted on the fridge. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Got it."

Seo-jun drizzled oil into a frying pan.

As the pan heated, he cracked an egg onto it. Sizzle!

Soon, a perfectly cooked fried egg was plated and handed to Yeon-jun.

Orders kept coming in nonstop.

Choi Sungkyun and his team had bigger appetites than they appeared.

"Boss, your fried egg skills are pretty decent! Another fried egg, please!"

"Yes! Hyung, can you make another fried egg?"

"We're out."

"Huh? That can't be. There should be at least five left..."

To the skeptical Yeon-jun, Seo-jun opened the fridge and showed him.

"Uh, you're right. I'll have to go buy some."

"I'll go. I saw a market nearby earlier."

"That's... Hyung, I'm really sorry. I can't believe I'm making you run errands after not seeing you for ten years."

"It's fine."

Taking money from Yeon-jun, Seo-jun stepped out of the restaurant.

But instead of heading to the market, he walked to the back alley behind the restaurant.

There, a group of men squatted, smoking cigarettes.

"Perfect timing. We were wondering when you'd show up, you bastard."

Just as Yeon-jun had said, there were still plenty of eggs in the fridge.

He had only needed an excuse to step outside.

"You're pretty lucky, aren’t you? Those Bureau guys showed up right on time to back you up. But not this time."

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing."

"Pfft. What did you just say?"

"I'm saying you're the lucky ones. I'm not planning to shed blood today."

Suddenly, Seo-jun's eyes turned pitch black.

At the market, he found something peculiar.

The sight of a dozen armed mercenaries guarding a small local market was striking, but the prices were even more so.

The exorbitant inflation.

Even considering the rise in living costs, the prices were outrageous.

'No wonder three fried eggs were being sold for 7,000 won...'

Clicking his tongue, Seo-jun calculated his purchase and then noticed a massive egg. It was ostrich-sized, but with blue stripes across it, differing from a regular ostrich egg.

The price was astonishing—200 won per egg.

"Why is this egg so cheap?" he asked.

"Are you joking?"

"…."

"It's ornamental. An Arutus egg."

So he was right—it was an Arutus egg.

But ornamental? What did that mean?

While Seo-jun was muttering, the staff explained, "You really don’t know?"

"No, I just returned recently."

"Figures. If you’re from District 12, you wouldn’t know. They probably didn’t cover it in the rehabilitation program..."

The employee looked him up and down before continuing.

"You can’t eat those. They’re basically useless. They're only good for decoration or as kids' toys because of their pretty appearance."

"That’s why they’re so cheap. But why can’t they be eaten?"

"They're toxic."

"Toxic?"

"It’s not just Arutus eggs. Most materials from dismantled monsters are toxic unless they’re magic stones or leather. Arutus eggs are especially dangerous—they can cause blindness within 10 minutes of consumption."

Another staff member chimed in, "During the early days of the upheaval, people ate them unknowingly and ended up blind."

Yeon-jun couldn’t believe his eyes.

His brother, who had gone out to buy eggs, returned carrying a box.

The box was filled with Arutus eggs.

"Hyung?"

"Hey, Yeon-jun."

"…Where are the eggs?"

"They’re right here."

"…Arutus eggs?"

Seo-jun nodded nonchalantly.

Yeon-jun’s eyes reddened slightly.

What kind of life had his brother been living these past ten years?

What could have happened to make him unable to distinguish regular eggs from Arutus eggs?

"Why did you buy those?"

"They’re much cheaper than regular eggs—just 200 won each."

"…."

"Don’t worry, I’m not crazy. These are edible."

"They're not! They’re toxic!"

"Then what about blowfish?"

"Huh?"

"Blowfish are poisonous too, right? So you can’t eat those either?"

"That’s not the same."

"It’s the same. Remove the toxins, and they’re edible."

"That’s impossible."

"It’s possible."

Seo-jun’s declaration wasn’t mere bravado—it was based on experience.

Back in the Demon Realm, he had often eaten Arutus eggs.

Mixing water and salt in a 1:1 ratio, Seo-jun submerged the eggs.

Watching him, Yeon-jun asked, "Will that really remove the toxins?"

"Yup. Plus, they taste great. You’ll be amazed when you try them."

Yeon-jun was dumbfounded.

If it were that simple, why hadn’t anyone thought of it during the upheaval?

Surely someone would have processed the abundant monster eggs into food during the severe food shortages.

Yet all such attempts had failed.

‘But could it really be that easy…?’

After soaking the eggs in salt water for three minutes, Seo-jun fried one in a hot pan.

Sizzle!

The yolk and whites cooked to perfection, giving off an enticing aroma.

Seo-jun cut the cooked egg and confidently took a bite.

‘It’s been a while.’

Despite no additional seasoning, the egg's natural flavors—savory, nutty, and slightly salty—harmonized beautifully.

After seeing Seo-jun eat it without issue, Yeon-jun cautiously tried a bite.

Was this how it felt for a blind man to see for the first time?

‘It’s delicious!’

The flavor was unparalleled—one of the best things he’d eaten in years.

2:00AM.

After closing the restaurant, Yeon-jun grabbed two bottles of soju and sat across from Seo-jun, who was nibbling on an Arutus egg as a side dish.

"Hyung, you’re drinking too, right?"

Seo-jun nodded.

Alcohol was a rarity in the Demon Realm. Although food was abundant, alcohol was nearly impossible to procure without descending to the mortal world—a move that would provoke Heaven into war.

War over alcohol? It hadn’t been worth it.

"Pour me some."

"After eating like a starved man, now you want alcohol too?"

Yeon-jun poured Seo-jun a shot, and he drank it down in one go.

The cheap alcohol’s bitterness burned down his throat.

‘This is it.’

Even cheap soju felt like a long-lost treasure.

"So, what exactly happened to you?"

Having prepared himself with extensive research on the changed world, Seo-jun gave a simple response.

"I got sucked into a channel."

"A channel? So you’re a returnee? That explains why you’re clueless about things. Did you awaken?"

"No. Not everyone who gets sucked in awakens."

"True."

"I fell into a strange forest, met someone there, and spent 10 years. Then, on the 10th anniversary, I found the channel and walked through it. Next thing I knew, I was back on Earth."

"I see…."

Pouring another shot, Yeon-jun smiled.

"Don’t worry about anything from now on. Just stay with us. I can support an extra mouth to feed."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

Seo-jun laughed warmly at Yeon-jun's confident tone.

The next morning, Yeon-jun woke up earlier than usual and checked the small room.

His brother was still asleep, snoring softly.

It wasn’t a dream.

Then, he checked his phone.

Four missed calls and one message from the same number.

The message was short but unsettling.

There’s no way those bastards will let this go.

They wouldn’t. They never did.

Their usual scheme: lure you in with promises of leniency, then drown you in ballooning interest.

Where could he possibly borrow 40 million won in today’s world?

Arriving at the loan shark’s office, Yeon-jun was greeted by armed thugs.

"What do you want?"

"I’d like to see the boss."

"To borrow or to repay?"

"…."

"Ah, to delay."

As the thug sneered, preparing to kick him out, a familiar figure appeared—Hwang Taesu, the boss himself, fresh from the hospital with a cast on his arm.

"Hey, you idiot!"

"Oh, Boss, you’re here."

"I said get lost, didn’t I? You moron!"

Despite his bluster, Hwang Taesu’s tone softened when addressing Yeon-jun.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"…Pardon?"

"My guys are rough around the edges. Did they hurt you?"

Yeon-jun was taken aback. This was the first time he’d received such courteous treatment.

But he couldn’t let his guard down.

Kneeling immediately, he pleaded, "Boss, please just give me a bit more time—"

"Mr. Lee!"

Hwang Taesu jumped, nervously glancing around.

What was going on? Why was he so jumpy?

"Please, get up. Quickly."

As Yeon-jun stood, Hwang Taesu brushed dirt off his knees and spoke apologetically.

"I’m really sorry about everything. Forget the debt—it’s all wiped clean. Hey! Bring his IOU!"

"What?"

"You deaf? Get his IOU, now!"

The lackey scrambled to fetch the document, which Hwang Taesu promptly tore to pieces.

"Mr. Lee, please, convey our deepest apologies to your older brother…”

"What? Older brother?"

At that moment, Hwang Taesu suddenly recalled yesterday’s events.

—Keep today’s events a secret. Especially from my younger brother.

Gulp.

“N-no, ahem. Anyway, Mr. Lee, your debt is completely forgiven. You’re free to go now. And if we’ve ever done anything to upset you, we’d be truly grateful if you could just forget about it.”

As Yeon-jun hesitated and began to walk away, Hwang Taesu let out a sigh of relief.

“Whew. That was way too close.”