Chapter 163: [163] Meeting Family (2)

Isabella had told Ark that Soo-jin’s relationship with her siblings was not good.

Sure, she seemed to be on good terms with Hisako and Great, but Hisako was only one out of eleven other sisters, and Great was a single brother out of god knows how many—

’Wait... just how many children did her mother have?’

Sure, she had been alive since the cataclysm more than four hundred years ago, an original first generation, but still...

Did she have a child or two to commemorate every century?

Ark was about to ask about Soo-min when Hisako waved her hands dismissively in the air.

"Let’s leave such dreary topics behind..." she smiled. "We came here for a celebration, did we not? If we keep waiting, the food is going to get cold!"

Ark couldn’t have been more offended.

Couldn’t they talk for a little longer? The food was still piping hot, he could still feel the steam as it evaporated from the table.

There were even little grills for whatever reason. There was no need to rush—

"Itadakimasu!" Great clasped his hands together as he grabbed a bowl of noodles and began slurping them.

"Glutton."

"What? Did you say something?"

"No..."

"Now let’s not be rude." Hisako gave Great an exasperated look, and he reflexively guarded his side, expecting her to jab her elbow into his ribs.

"Since Ark is our guest, he should have the first bite." Hisako smiled. "So what do you want to start with? I’m sure you are not used to this food, so if you want, I can recommend something."

Ark’s eyes perused the assortment of food. She was right, he had absolutely no idea what he was looking at...

Most of their food seemed to be from the Eastern continent, a place Ark had never visited.

But—

"Aren’t you forgetting something, Miss Hisako?"

"Oh please, call me Hisako. You can call him Great as well, he doesn’t mind."

"What do you mean I don’t mind? I’m old enough to be his father—"

Thump!

The table suddenly shook, the dishes clattering. Great smiled in a docile manner. "Great... Great is fine," he squeaked.

’A kick to the shin...’ Ark could only imagine his pain.

"As I was saying..." Ark nervously continued, just before his voice elevated. "I am a skeleton! A sk-el-et-on!"

Ark found himself getting angrier. Was she purposely playing a trick on him? Was it funny watching him stare at the food?

But Hisako smiled, then laughed. "I was wondering how long you would hold out for."

"..."

Ark felt his chest cavity run cold.

’Huh?’

Had she been purposely baiting him this entire time? Inviting him to join them for dinner, asking him to take the first bite...

That... that was just evil!

"What sort of wit(ch would do such a thing!" That was what Ark was about to say, but when he saw Hisako summon an artifact, he immediately swallowed the rest of his words.

It was an unassuming piece of wood with several runic symbols etched into its surface.

"This artifact will allow you to switch back to your human form... it can only be used twice in a week. Good thing I still have one charge left, right?"

Ark picked up the artifact as though it was a block of gold. An artifact that could defy one of Eden’s laws?

Sure, if anything like that existed, it would be in the hands of the top families. But was it even possible?

Skeptically, he activated the artifact by pouring his mana into it, and within the space of two seconds, Ark could once again feel his lungs, his heart, and the rush of blood through his veins.

’It... it actually worked??’

He took in a breath, a real breath, and smiled.

"Thank you..."

"You’re welcome."

Hisako stretched out her hand to receive it. She held onto the artifact, but Ark did not let go.

"Um Ark...?"

"Just a second— Allow me to feel it for a little longer..."

Hisako shared a look with Great. "Okay...?"

[Harvest successful! You have successfully received Ex-Rank skill, Back to normal!]

— Back to normal

Allows a player to switch between races.

Note: Back to normal can only be used twice in a week, after which the timer will reset.

Ark made sure to not show his smile as he handed it back to her, but he caught Soo-jin giving him a knowing look.

With all the spying she had been doing on him, he would be surprised if she did not already know his abilities. After all, the first time he had used it in front of an audience was when he had saved her...

Now in his human form, Ark was able to enjoy an invigorating dinner.

Nearly everything was new to him, but Soo-jin guided him on how the food should be eaten, as well as the best possible combinations.

She filled his plate with food with every passing second, as though she was planning on fattening him up, and even poured him a drink, a crystal-clear alcohol they called Saké.

Ark had tried to use the twin sticks they used to eat on multiple occasions, but after failing multiple times, he settled on using the good ol’ spoon and fork.

"By the way..." Ark muttered after swallowing meat that had been grilled right in front of him. "I’ve noticed, your names, they seem different."

Although the Eastern continent had some similarities, there were also differences in their culture, particularly in their names.

Ark had seen enough of Bronya’s Eastern dramas to know there was a difference.

Soo-jin was about to bite into a dumpling when she paused. Ark watched in awe as she held the large dumpling in place with the sticks, how was that even scientifically possible?

"Don’t worry, Soo-jin, I’ll explain it to him." Hisako said. "How much do you know about the cataclysm?"

Ark hurriedly swallowed the food he was chewing.

"I know that billions died, the Northern continent was even wiped out..."

Hisako nodded. "It was not only the Northern Continent that faced a crisis, after the Northern Continent was lost, the Eastern Continent was hit next..."

"Most people thought the Eastern Continent would fall as well, so they fled." She explained.

"The survivors of the Northern Continent, the Eastern Continent and many other regions then arrived on land with a small population, and took over it."

"Took over?"

Ark had been taught history right from his basic education right to the academy level, not once had anything like this been mentioned.

"Mmhm." Hisako nodded. "During a cataclysm, when food is scarce and the world is at an all-time low, do you think anyone would be willing to open their borders?"

"The survivors had seen the horrors of the cataclysm, they needed to find a relatively safe area to mount a defence against the monsters."

Ark shook his head, his voice dropping low. "So they forced their way in...?"

Tzzzzzz!

The meat on the portable grill sizzled, the fire sparking underneath it, reflecting in Hisako’s blue eyes.

She smiled. "Yes. And with the help of the first-generation players, slaughtered everyone who resisted."

She used her chopsticks to flip the meat that had begun to burn.

"That region is what we call Venaris today."

"..."

Their table fell into silence.

Ark had never given much thought to how the cataclysm had been. He knew it was a hellish time, a time where people had done horrid things to survive.

Venaris had been the frontier from which the world wrestled its regions back from the claws of the monsters, that was why it was a world power...

But to think the relative peace he was currently enjoying was bought with the blood of people who were likely also doing what they could to survive...

He did not know how to feel.

"Goodness." Great said while chewing. "You did not have to give him all the horrid details."

"Huh? But I’m just setting the stage for the story." Hisako frowned. "Also, swallow your food before you speak."

"Just get to the point, Eonnin." Soo-jin sighed.

Hisako seemed offended. "Alright." She frowned.

"Our parents are both from the Eastern continent, but from different regions. My mother met my dad in Venaris, after which she claimed him."

’Claimed him?’

Neither of them batted an eye. Why did it seem so normal to them? Did their mother like... kidnap him or something?

Ark felt concerned for himself.

"That is why our names are like this. Some are from my father’s home country, while some are from my mother’s."

"So what do you think?" She cocked her head to the side. "It is a great love story, right?"

So not only had Soo-jin’s parents been first-generation players...

They had been part of the people who had slaughtered an entire country, built a city of their own, and mounted a defence against the monsters, which eventually led to quelling the gates.

Ahh, such a loving family...

"Of course!" Ark smiled. "It’s the most beautiful love story I have ever heard!"

Hisako chuckled. "I knew you would like the story!"