I came for Healing, but a Gate Appeared

There's Chaos in Seoul

Before he knew it, Ian's hands had begun to move busily once again.

As the water with dissolved soybean paste started boiling, he took out zucchini, potatoes, and onions from the fridge, chopped them up, and put them into the pot.

"Oh my, I'm cooking again... I didn't buy these ingredients, and yet I must really want to live. Tsk, tsk, poor thing."

It was Ahn Bin's will moving the body.

Eating is one of the basic conditions of life, isn't it?

Naturally, the memories that survive the longest are those tied to it.

"All right, then. Have it your way. If you want this food that much, I'll cook for you."

Ian decided to compromise this way. He was a man whose understanding was as vast as the Praeri Continent.

After all, several people live in one house; there's no reason two can't live in one body.

Besides, if all you have to share is your taste in food, what's the problem?

If he just wanted to eat something delicious, why not let him?

Ahn Bin, young man, don't get too down—just take care of your meals.

'Your body is my body, but...'

Before he realized it, the soybean paste stew was boiling, its savory aroma filling the house.

It was a comforting, appetite-stimulating smell.

The lid of the pot rattled, and even the cheerful bubbling sound could be heard.

That scent and sound once again fluttered in his heart. His mouth began to water.

"Nice, nice. Now is it time for grilled spam?"

Ian's hands moved skillfully.

He took out the can, opened it, cut the ham into flat slices, and put them in the heated frying pan.

As the ham cooked, a greasy, savory aroma spread.

"Looks delicious. I'd better eat quickly."

He opened the rice cooker and found there was rice left from yesterday.

He scooped some into a bowl, plated the spam, and generously served the soybean paste stew in a large bowl.

Ian carefully carried the set table outside into the yard.

Since he was at it, he wanted to eat somewhere with a nice view.

It was his first meal of this vacation.

Whether this matched the kind of vacation Ian had imagined was another matter.

There was no table in the front yard, but there was a wide wooden platform.

He set the meal there and sat down. Majestic mountains were spread out before him.

"Ah, this is great. With such a view, the food will go down even more smoothly."

Ian intended to eat his meal slowly while taking in the scenery.

But as soon as he took one spoonful of rice and a mouthful of stew, he immediately began burying his nose in the food.

"Mmm. This... is good?"

Next, he picked up a piece of grilled ham.

Salty and crispy, with a satisfying chewy yet soft texture.

"This is a rice thief, a real rice thief."

Such words escaped Ian's lips instinctively.

One piece of ham, one spoonful of rice, followed by big scoops of stew, and then kimchi for a palate cleanser. He gained momentum as he ate.

The stew was comforting and warming to the stomach, and the spam's taste was addictive.

"Kimchi is definitely a food I'd like to introduce to Praeri. I'll have to bring some next time if I get the chance."

Ian, who already loved spicy food, immediately fell for the taste of kimchi. It was the taste of healthy fermentation.

"A perfect combination! Earthlings eat quite well, don't they?"

The flavors harmonized, setting off a burst of umami.

His heart fluttered again and again. Not just Ahn Bin, even Ian himself felt satisfied.

He was delighted. After all, the charm of travel was tasting new foods.

Moreover, eating food was important for utilizing strength and practicing techniques as well.

The techniques of a Praerian originated from nature itself.

Now that he was on Earth, he needed to absorb this place's natural essence too.

"Ah, that was good."

Ian ate every bite until not a single grain or drop was left in any bowl. Only then did he feel like looking up and enjoying the view.

"The mountains are beautiful. The stream sparkles. It's truly lovely."

A gentle smile curled on Ian's lips as he finished his meal, well satisfied.

With his stomach comfortably full, the scene glittering through his slightly drooping eyelids seemed just peaceful.

The sunlight sparkling on the stream looked like jewels. The layers of mountains were as deep as a green sea. Under the clear blue sky, a gentle warmth flowed.

'Not bad at all. Living here in this body wouldn't be so bad.'

Compared to life in Praeri, it was quite a humble existence. Here, he solved everything himself by moving his fragile body in cramped land.

Still, it had its pleasures. Everything was new, so nothing felt tedious but rather interesting.

Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't disappointed about not being able to use the techniques of a Praerian.

"Now that my belly is full, should I get back to work?"

It was time to put his body to work again. After clearing away the tableware, Ian headed to the field.

Perhaps thanks to his hearty meal, he felt a surge of strength. His arms swung the sickle with vigorous energy.

He cut without rest for several hours and finally got rid of all the remaining bramble vines. At last, the field's true appearance was revealed.

Of course, even so, what was revealed were only withering crops.

"Hm... Will they come back to life?"

He wasn't sure if they'd recover, but in any case, he watered the field generously. He planned to observe it until tomorrow.

"Phew, it's all done. Laboring with strength is more rewarding than I thought."

Ian wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled with satisfaction. Then he wondered what he should do next.

Nothing in particular came to mind. As expected from a field the size of his palm, there wasn't much to keep him busy.

He thought he might as well have a look around the village, when suddenly the stream popped into his mind.

"Should I take a dip in the creek?"

Having sweated, he needed a shower anyway, so why not go straight to the creek to wash?

Ian quickly went inside, grabbed a big towel, changed into slippers, and set off for the creek.

"There's nothing like playing in the water in summer."

There was a fairly wide river flowing through Ian's domain as well, and on hot days, he often went swimming.

Even after living for nearly a thousand years, water play was always fun.

He traced his memory down the hilly path toward the creek—to the very spot where he'd been hit by the village leader's truck. It was the spot he knew best.

When he got there, he saw there were steps deliberately made to go down to the creek without falling from the road. He took the steps down.

The creek water wasn't sparkling as it had been before. Shade had fallen over the creek.

The sun wasn't down yet, but it was late afternoon. The mountain's shadow had quietly settled in.

Still, the water was clean, and it looked very cool.

Ian took off his t-shirt, stood in his shorts, and jumped into the water—only to immediately scream.

"Argh! Cold!"

It was much colder than he'd imagined. Was it because the water came down from the mountain, or because the sun was low? The water was as cold as ice.

It was summer, but still early summer. Ian hadn't known that the creek water of Mount Jiri was so cold that one could barely even dip their toes in unless it was mid-summer.

"Oh, refreshing. Seriously refreshing. It's chilling to the bone, really."

Still, Ian endured. For some reason, the icy water of the creek appealed to him.

Praeri's rivers, lying flat on the open land, were always warm and mild under the constant sun; the creek waters of Mount Jiri, by contrast, were cold and wild, almost like a beast.

Despite his teeth chattering, Ian just sat there, soaking in the water.

Gradually, the water began to feel warm. The heat from his body escaped, reaching a thermal equilibrium with the cold water.

'Nice. Feels like it's washing my mind clean too.'

He closed his eyes, sitting still and sensing the surrounding nature. The gently flowing water caressed his body as if it were alive itself.

'So pure. The energy of the mountains and streams is amazing.'

As he was savoring Earth's unfamiliar nature, suddenly a heavy thud resounded.

It was more a vibration than a sound—deep and weighty.

"What was that?"

Ian opened his eyes and looked around in alarm.

He thought there might have been a tremor, but upon checking, there seemed to be no change in his surroundings.

Ian carefully inspected the area.

At that moment, he heard the sound of a car, and a familiar voice soon followed.

"Hey there, young return-to-farmer, what are you doing out there? Don't tell me you fell in?"

A truck had stopped on the road above, and the village leader was shouting through the window.

"No, I didn't fall in."

Ian answered lightly as he got out of the water and wrapped a towel around his body, looking up.

"Goodness, the water must still be cold... By the way, are you all right?"

"Sorry?"

"You know, where you were hurt yesterday."

The village leader subtly looked over the young farmer's body.

Truthfully, what he was more concerned about was the young man's head, but he couldn't just ask flat out if his head was all right.

"Ah. I'm fine. Not a thing wrong."

"That's a relief then. Anyway, come to the village hall in a bit."

"To the village hall? Why?"

"Didn't you hear the village announcement? I said to gather everyone. We need to talk all together."

"Oh, I guess I didn't hear while I was in the water. But talk about what?"

"There's chaos in Seoul! Who knows what's going on..."

When Ian kept asking, the village leader looked exasperated.

"Hah... Seriously. Haven't you watched the news? You young people don't use the internet? You really don't know anything yet?"

He had just arrived the day before—how could he know?

But since he couldn't say he missed it because he'd taken over the body of a na, Ian just quietly shook his head.

"Anyway, come to the village hall. Everyone will be gathering."

"Yes, I'll just change out of these wet clothes and come right away."

On hearing this, the village leader finally nodded and drove off in his truck.

'There's chaos in Seoul? Did a war break out?'

Something quite serious seemed to have happened.

Ian hurried home to change his clothes.

Before leaving, he remembered something called a cell phone and searched the pockets of the pants he'd worn yesterday, but didn't find it.

According to Ahn Bin's memories, cell phones were the most essential item in an earthling's daily life.

With a phone, you could get news of the world, talk to family and friends, even strangers.

"What an interesting device. A new thing Praeri doesn't have. But where did it go? I'd like to check it out..."

Finding nothing in his pants pockets, he searched the house, but still couldn't find it.

It's called a cell phone because you always carry it, according to what he'd heard. So naturally Ahn Bin would have taken it when he went out yesterday.

In that case, it must have flown off when he got hit by the village leader's truck.

"Did it fall in the creek? I should've looked for it there earlier..."

Well, it's not something he needed right away. Everyone has one, so he could ask the leader or someone else to show him.

Thinking this calmly, Ian headed for the village hall.

* * *

"Ah, there it is!"

With Ahn Bin's memories, it wasn't hard to find his way.

The village hall was in the center of the village.

A new, respectable-looking building, and lots of people were heading that way, so it was easy to spot.

"Hello, sir!"

"Oh, it's the young farmer."

"Hello, grandma!"

"My, what's gotten into you, young man? So polite, greeting everyone first."

Giving light greetings to the elders he met along the way, he was met with surprised reactions all around.

'Honestly, Ahn Bin, how were you living after moving back to the farm?'

They said he returned to the farm to escape from relationships, but it seemed even here, Ahn Bin had kept his distance from people.

Did that mean he hadn't even greeted the villagers?

But that wasn't Ian's way.

On Praeri, as someone on the older side and a lord, he usually received greetings, but even then, he'd often greet others first.

He really was a master of a great farm whose understanding and kindness would go down in history.

No wonder he often did more work on the farm than anyone else.

As a result, he got so sick of it that he secretly ran off on vacation, but still.

Here, since he was playing the role of the young man, he made sure to greet the elders first.

That, too, was rather fun in its own way.

Nobody dislikes being greeted, and no elder dislikes the kindness of youth.

As a long-lifer adult, Ian knew that better than anyone.

Anyway, Ian was secretly enjoying his role as a young man now.

"Hello, hello."

So, Ian cheerfully called his greetings as he stepped into the village hall.