Yokai Come to the Countryside Café

Chapter 26: Café‑Style Ramen (3)

-Clatter.

Two cups of Ssanghwa tea, with egg yolks floating on top, were placed on the table.

“Today, it's on the house. Since you come by so often.”

“Oh my, no! I should still pay.”

I firmly declined the 10,000-won bill Haedong Sinyuh had taken out of her wallet.

Then I used the service as an excuse to casually toss out the question I originally intended to ask.

“Do you happen to like mobile games?”

“Pardon? Games?”

I was the one who said it, but it sounded eerily similar to those “Do you know the Way?” types. Especially since we were dealing with real shamans who do know the Way.

“It’s a game that a regular customer plays, and it’s actually pretty fun. If you want, I can send you the link.”

“Yes! I’ll download it and start right away!”

“Ah, I don’t really play games… Ack! Why’d you hit me?”

“Are you crazy? Download it, now!”

“I was just suggesting you check it out and try it if it suits your taste. I’m not forcing you.”

“It’ll be fun! Right?”

“Haha...”

I only recommended it with a light heart, but it seemed to have been delivered with a much heavier tone to Haedong Sinyuh and the Monk-Agent.

The other shamans who were visiting as guests were also busy getting the download link from Haedong Sinyuh.

“Tsk tsk, you’re the owner of the Divine Tree—when you say it like that, those guys won’t hear it as a suggestion, but an order.”

“I somehow feel bad.”

“Not at all! I’ll enjoy it!”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

Suddenly, I was reminded of my military days, when the battalion commander came to visit our unit.

He casually mentioned that the autumn leaves were beautiful, and we ended up spending the whole weekend running up and down the mountains, collecting and laminating the most exquisite leaves to decorate the barracks.

Am I not just like that battalion commander now?

I used to resent him so much, but now that I’m in a similar situation, I finally get it.

It’s to the point where I’m afraid to say anything at all.

“But do you think this method will really work?”

“I don’t know. I’m just doing what I can. If it doesn’t, we’ll find another way.”

To be honest, it wasn’t much of a plan.

Using even a Dragon Pearl to protect a game no one played just felt too pitiful, so the idea was simply to give it a bit of a promotional push.

It wasn’t really about helping him ascend to heaven, more like offering some support. I hadn’t expected it to turn into a semi-forced recruitment drive.

“Well, it's not like we’re losing anything. But doesn’t this just make us busybodies?”

“And you’re asking me that? You’re the one who brought him here.”

“Ahem.”

It is meddling.

The kind of meddling that comes with extra hassle.

The original goal was to find a way to craft Ria’s soul, but things got tangled, and now there’s this extra burden of the Imoogi’s ascension.

Still, I couldn’t just ignore it. Not after seeing the posts he left, waiting alone on the message board.

“Even so, he’s not a wicked yokai. I’d like to help, at least as much as I can.”

“They say taking in others is a fate, and you’re the spitting image of that. Those guys were fated to end up with a master who gives them a hard time, tsk tsk.”

The Elder let out a hearty laugh and pointed with his long smoking pipe toward the table where the shamans had gathered.

“Okay, you don’t get this from the app store, you go to this website here…”

“I have a flip phone, though?”

“Who even uses a flip phone these days?!”

At the table with Haedong Sinyuh, it looked like a smartphone app installation lecture from a senior citizen class was underway.

“Well, at least twenty new users will join.”

Those twenty were all of them.

I still felt uneasy about Sanyi guarding the Divine Tree on Gyeryongsan all alone, but for this short and intense promo burst, this was the most effective method.

Wait a minute.

“We’re in trouble.”

“Huh? What’s the trouble now?”

“I sent the link to the Director too.”

“That place must be chaos now too.”

At the same time, in the NIS main conference room.

“We’ll now begin the character development meeting for Path of Heroes.”

‘Are we seriously doing this? They didn’t even tell us why?’

‘They said it’s an R-grade classified matter. Just do what you’re told.’

‘We’re doing everything now. What are we, a gaming company?’

“Hey, quiet down over there. The Director is here. Turn off that local TV station. Let’s proceed. User IDs will be generated department-by-department in one-hour intervals right after today’s meeting ends. As you know, you must use the assigned profile identity within the game. Also, regarding the public forum on the official website…”

‘But do we really have to do this too?’

‘Now that you mention it, it’s true. There are so many people. Is it really necessary for the Director and I to be involved? Don’t you agree, Director Baek?’

‘We’ve already disclosed documents from the archive. The Blue House is aware of the situation, so if you’re not involved directly, it could become a problem.’

‘Right?’

It was a terribly disadvantageous situation.

Information about the Dabang that yokai frequented could only be received with the permission of Jinseong, the owner of the Dabang.

Therefore, Jinseong’s requests had to be supported to the best of their ability, without any restrictions.

‘He should’ve just asked for more money instead. What kind of nonsense is this at my age?’

‘If you really don’t want to, I’ll handle your account too, Director.’

‘Ah, forget it. If something happens here again, I’ll be the only one clueless about it.’

The position of Director of the National Intelligence Service wasn’t awarded simply for spending a long time in politics.

It was an honorary title that could only be earned by knowing when to sit and when to lie down. He had reached this position because he knew early on that he wasn’t cut out to be President or Prime Minister and kept his ambitions modest.

Those who got tempted by sweet talk and dabbled in becoming party leaders or presidential candidates ended up, nine out of ten, being treated as washed-up and barely managed to secure a nomination in the next general election.

For politicians, tact and intuition were more important virtues than administrative skills.

‘Let’s think of it as medicine. If we don’t take it, both Deputy Director Choi and I are finished.’

Trying not to get blamed for letting things spiral this far was a struggle that transcended age and rank—a common workplace woe that even the head of a national agency couldn’t avoid.

“Let’s see... excluding rent, utilities, today’s train fare, and 5,000 won for the ramen at the Dabang…”

Yongman, having boarded the bus, pulled out a wad of bills from his pocket and mumbled while flipping through them one by one.

Gombang gigs paid well, but they weren’t a daily occurrence. His personality didn’t lend itself to steady work.

Being a yokai did help him save money on food, so that was at least a small relief.

But he had incurred an unexpected major expense. Just the round-trip fare alone neared 100,000 won.

‘Going every day is out of the question. If I scrimp tightly, maybe twice a week? But they’re both total beginners, so that won’t be enough.’

For the first time in years, he had new players.

Even if someone wanted to join on a whim, since the game had been removed from the app store, there was no way to install it unless he personally provided the download link.

He once considered advertising it out of frustration, but no one would be foolish enough to install a file for a game from such a vague era that wasn’t even nostalgic.

And naturally, trying to post advertisements got his posts deleted and his account banned.

‘Ah, I’m wasting time. I haven’t even finished farming yet.’

Yongman stuffed the half-counted wad of bills back into his pocket and quickly turned on his phone.

The items needed by the two newbies weren’t found in the areas he usually hunted.

The screen now showed not the giant monsters he usually fought, but a bunch of weak-looking ones.

‘Really, such high maintenance.’

To prevent them from quitting the game from not obtaining the necessary items—a so-called death zone—his role was crucial.

No one was buying or selling in the village square anyway.

But today was different.

DaechutreeGotCaught: Where’s the newbie hunting ground?

OctoberLoveBloom: Anyone know how to close the item window?

‘What the? It’s not even eight o’clock yet. Could these be real people?’

zLordMirz: Hey, how did you folks get in here?

DaechutreeGotCaught: Downloaded it and got in. But where’s the hunting ground?

zLordMirz: Just follow me, smh.

And so Yongman led a beginner armed with only a dagger across the village.

zLordMirz: Over there in the barley field, catch mice and rabbits. Avoid snakes—they have poison damage and might kill you.

DaechutreeGotCaught: You mean the crowded spot? There were more people than monsters there, couldn’t even hunt and just left. Are there any other hunting spots?

zLordMirz: ?

‘Did they say there were a lot of people? What the hell does that mean?’

He had planned to quickly share the hunting spot location and return to help the true newbie in the square who couldn’t even close their item window, but the unexpected chat made Yongman sprint to the beginner’s hunting ground using his dash skill.

And he witnessed an unbelievable scene.

JaeminDad: Hey, trash disciples of the Heavenly Slash Sword Sect, stop kill-stealing.

HeavenlySlash: Who the hell are you talking down to?

HeavenlySlashYounger: Elder, no—I mean, brother. Please calm down.

JaeminDad: You’re the one who kill-stole first.

HeavenlySlash: Kill-steal? Hey punk, what department are you from?

JaeminDad: Department, my ass. Judging by your user ID’s aura, I can tell you’re destined to wipe the butts of younger kids even when you’re old.

RadishPlease: Recruiting for snake hunt! (Healers welcome)

When was the last time he’d seen chat messages typed by real people, not just system messages, scroll up this quickly?

And that wasn’t all.

Instead of the usual summoned monsters that used to pile up due to inactivity, the hunting ground was now crowded with easily over thirty people.

But the touching moment didn’t last long.

【Battery low. Switching to power-saving mode.】

‘Oh no? Damn it, there’s nowhere to charge!’

It was his ancient phone’s fault. Even with the connected power bank, it couldn’t hold out and chose this crucial moment to flash the telecom logo and shut down.

(This stop is Dangsan Market. The next stop is Dangsangol Four-Way Intersection.)

Yongman got out of his seat even before the signboard displayed the stop he’d been waiting for.

-Beeeeep. Crash.

He got off the bus way before the doors even opened properly.

How long had he been running since getting off the bus?

At last, his palm reached a door faintly marked with the words “Pull.”

-Ring.

“Welcome.”

“Huff, huff… O-outlet!”

“Need to charge? I was just about to go buy a power strip since we’re short.”

“Why would you be short on…”

He was about to scoff at the idea that a rural café with hardly any customers would ever run out of outlets—but the words fizzled in his mouth.

Because he saw the customers seated at each table, dressed in colorful clothes, each plugging in their chargers and fully immersed in gaming.

And from each of their phones, a familiar game sound echoed.

It was the background music of Path of Heroes, which he had turned off years ago to save battery.

“Want to come with me? The convenience store’s right up front.”

“Huh? Uh, okay.”

‘Strangely enough, I end up just doing whatever this café owner says.’

Yongman, who ended up in Jinseong’s car before realizing he didn’t need to go along, realized too late—but the worn-out compact car was already wobbling along the road.