The Retired Top Ranker Was Abducted to Another World - Chapter 18

The first to notice Hyang’s changes was none other than Fey.

“You’ve changed from the past.”

In the past, if you gave Hyang wood, she would eat it deliciously. But now she has become picky. It’s as if she distinguishes between what’s delicious and what’s not. The wood that gets eliminated is bitten once and discarded.

“Keith!”

Look, isn’t she discarding it even now?

“Don’t want to eat it?”
“Keish~”

It’s not tasty.

“Well, it’ll be fine.”

If it were Yeonwoo, she would find the wood that Hyang finds delicious. It was unimaginable outside, but it was possible only here.

“All done!”

Fruit juice made with honey!

“Mmm~ it’s delicious as expected!”

The harmony of sweet apple taste and honey delighted the mouth.

“Fey! You try it quickly too.”
“Got it.”

Slurp…

“Tasty.”
“Right? I should give it to the uncle and the kids too.”

I took the juice and went to find Jake and Pie.

“Delicious!”
“Kisit!”

Everyone liked it.

“Hmm..should we take it to the dragon too?”
“..If it’s for the dragon, isn’t it too little?”
“Is it?”

The dragon was very big. Even a liter wouldn’t be enough for it.

“Feels like we’re going to use all the honey.”

To make juice for the dragon, it seemed like we had to use all the honey we brought. Honestly, it’s a hassle to go collect more…

“Just don’t give it to him then.”
“..But how can we not give it to our neighbor? We can collect more honey later.”

I used all the honey to make juice for the dragon.

“I’ll be back.”
“I’m going too.”
“You too?”
“Yes. I’m going to settle a score from last time.”
“Are you going to fight the dragon again?”
“Yes. This time, I’ll win.”

Fey has never won against the dragon until now. But this time, it would be different. He had been training hard.

“Alright, let’s go together.”

We went to the lake.

“Did you come?”
“Yeah. I came to give you this.”
“What is it?”
“It’s juice made with honey and fruit. It’s delicious, so try it.”
“Thank you.”

The dragon smiled widely and drank the juice. Honey was also a new ingredient for it.

“Delicious.”

The sweetness of the juice felt pleasant.

“Oh, right. Can you spar with Fey again?”
“Hmm? Didn’t the basilisk die then?”
“Yes. But it seems he was quite upset about losing to you.”
“Oh, dear.”

The dragon chuckled slightly and nodded.

“Alright. As you said, we are neighbors.”

In the past, the monster who ruled around here was close to an enemy. It feared him but wanted the lake too. But now it was different. Baek Yeonwoo was stronger than himself but was friendly. He didn’t pose any threats and sometimes just caught fish. Then, out of the blue, he would have conversations with him. Yes, as Baek Yeonwoo expressed, he and Baek Yeonwoo were neighbors. Neighbors living close by. He had never talked on equal terms with someone before, and this was quite addictive. Like how one can’t go back once they attain something they originally didn’t have. Right now, the dragon was just like that.

‘That wolf must feel the same.’

Baek Yeonwoo, who had changed him. And the wolf that met Baek Yeonwoo before he did. That wolf probably would have been similar to himself. In the Forest of Disaster, it was impossible to give your heart to someone. But Baek Yeonwoo made it possible. A relationship that neither betrayed nor used one another. That was truly delightful.

“Let’s start.”
“Come.”

The two started to spar. They clashed for quite some time, but ultimately, the defeat was Fey’s.

***

For a while, we stayed quietly at home. Oh, except going back to the cliff to collect more honey. When full, we slept, woke up, and ate again — such peaceful days. It was utterly satisfying. But not for Jake.

Clang! Clang!

“Whew…”

He never stopped. Every day he hammered iron in the blacksmith’s forge. After making what Baek Yeonwoo had requested, he immediately started making a sword.

“This doesn’t please me.”

In the past, it would have been praised as excellent. But now, it didn’t satisfy him. The iron was of high purity, and the flames purer than the upper-level spirits. Given the optimal conditions for hammering, how could he be content with ordinary work?

“Just a little more…”

Just a bit more, and he might reach the next realm. The Iron Master’s realm, the most respected among the Dwarves. Reaching that level allows handling even more superior materials. Legendary dragon scales and wyvern leathers. These rare and expensive materials are beyond the reach of ordinary artisans. But becoming an Iron Master would make it different. They are the only ones who can handle those materials. Before that, he must meet his kind again, but someday he will. He also wanted to brag to his friends that he reached a higher realm.

“Uncle, take a break.”
“I’m fine.”
“Aren’t you tired?”
“Of course, I am. But I am happy.”
“Work makes you happy?”
“Of course. It’s what I love.”

“Strange. No matter how much I worked, I never liked it.”

No matter how many years or decades, he never liked work even once. Not for a single moment.

“Work? Did you do any work before you came here?”

Hazard a guess as to how he got such skills at such a young age. Could it be that he was some secret weapon or assassin created by some kingdom?

“Uncle, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“It must have been a strange thought at a glance, right?”

It’s true, but if not, how could he explain his skills?

“Um…the work I did before was fighting monsters.”
“Monsters?”
“Yeah.”
“Were you a knight or something?”
“No, not that.”

I was a Hunter.

“What are you hiding?”
“Hiding..? ”
“Yeah. Everyone knows you’re hiding something from us even if they pretend not to.”
“..Really?”
“Yes. We’re waiting for you to tell us someday, but it can get frustrating at times.”

No one here was oblivious to the fact he evaded questions because he didn’t want to talk about it. Especially Fey, who had lived the longest with Baek Yeonwoo, knew for sure.

“..No one will be able to accept it.”
“That’s for us to decide, not you.”
“Really..? Um.. Then I’ll tell you once my thoughts are settled. For sure.”

I got up and went to rest in my room.

‘Everyone noticed…’

I thought I hadn’t given it away.

‘But…how can I say that? That I’m different from others.’

***

I was once just an ordinary boy. Attending school and playing pranks with friends, having fun — nothing more than that. But a point came when my life changed. Monsters descending from the sky. The moment when the first gate appeared, changing the world. Back then, everyone was confused. Modern weapons had no effect on monsters. In just four days, a quarter of the primate population was wiped out. Everyone was talking about the end. Then appeared an existence akin to hope: awakenees. Those who tore monsters apart using the power of magic. And I was one of them.

“Provide cover for Baek Yeonwoo!”
“Okay.”

At that time, I was only 14 years old. Just a first-year middle schooler. Yet, I fought to protect the world. Those were times when even younger children fought monsters. It was okay, up to there. My family was safe, and as we gradually drove out the monsters, the era of humanity returned. But I began to sense something strange after a year had passed.

“Why haven’t you grown a bit?”

The teasing remark from a friend. The age when friends of the same age grew 10 cm sometimes in a year. Yet, my height didn’t increase even by 0.1 cm. That’s when I started feeling the oddity.

‘Why…haven’t I grown?’

Even after three years, five years, I was the same. By then, a peculiar fear began to grow within me. Being an adult, yet retaining the height of a middle schooler. At first, I suspected Highlander syndrome. But after countless tests at the hospital, I was told it wasn’t. Ten years passed, and…

“Kkaaaahk!”

The crisis of dying at the hands of a monster came. But…

Wooosh!

I didn’t die. The flame within me manifested for the first time. That’s how I survived. Even when the monster pierced my heart or cut my neck. At first, I thought positively.

‘Doesn’t this mean I won’t grow old or die?’

Every human wishes to live longer. It was a blessing. But immortality was anything but. Even as family and friends aged and died, I did not. By then, many sought to capture me for immortality. I let them experiment, wanting to die. But they still couldn’t figure it out. My body was the same as a slightly stronger human, nothing different. Eventually, they thought my invulnerability was due to awakening powers and gave up. And humanity praised me as the mightiest hunter. Yes, the experience and knowledge accumulated over the long years made me the strongest. For hundreds of years, I worked for humanity’s sake. Then, one day, a deep sense of lethargy hit.

‘I want to rest…’

I had money, fame, everything, yet nothing made me happy. All I wanted was to rest. So I retired. Never did I expect to retire in another world.

‘But how can I say this?’

That my time is different from theirs. I couldn’t say it at all. That I came from another world. That I was chosen as a hero. That I abandoned all of that to be here. None of it would come out. Someday they will age and die too. Then, once more, I will feel the loss. It’s depressing. But still, I should tell them. They are living with me, so they would find out. Not wanting to say is just my selfishness.

“I…”

I began to tell them everything. The hesitation felt trivial as words flowed out effortlessly.

‘Oh…I wanted to open up to someone.’

Ironically, while the head felt heavier, the heart felt as light as a feather.

“..You’ve worked hard.”
“You’ve been through a lot.”

Ah… why is there sweat in my eyes… Baek Yeonwoo genuinely smiled brightly.