Everyone is Young Except for Me - Chapter 340

Chapter 340
At a pub in Metheus, the capital of the Atlan Kingdom...

It was one of the most famous pubs in Metheus. It was famous as a barber shop, shaving the heads of people in need of beauty during the day. At night, it became a pub with a bar-like atmosphere, creating an old-world atmosphere. In this place, someone was laughing loudly. “Hahaha! I knew the old man would be like this!”

Reinhardt’s voice rang out through the pub. He drank the beer in front of him with one shot and slammed it on the table with a bang. Then he shouted, “One more bottle!” 

Reina was sitting next to Reinhardt and slapped him on the back of his head like he was pathetic.

“You baldie! You surprised me! Can’t you lower it a bit slowly?! I don’t know if you have no head or no thoughts. Really...”

Just then, Reina felt a huge killing intent from somewhere. She was shocked and started to look around. It wasn’t long until she realized that the source of the killing intent was the owner selling alcohol in front of her. For reference, there were two owners.

“No hair...”

“...Is it a big fault?”

They were Momori and Tarmo. The two people who dreamed of opening a barber shop in Mulan opened one in Metheus with the money they saved. However, the two men liked alcohol and decided to change the place to a pub at night to catch two rabbits at the same time. Now the angry Momori and Tarmo were suppressing Reina with bloody eyes.

“Ahaha. I’m sorry for this. Reina is saying that his head is empty, not talking about hair. I think you both misunderstood. Ahahaha!” Cappuccino, the vice-leader of the Zeus Guild, spoke to Momori and Tarmo with a gentle smile.

Only then did the distorted expressions of Momori and Tarmo return to normal like the misunderstanding had been cleared.

“Cough. Is that what you meant? I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.”

“Cough. You should’ve said it earlier. I’m sorry.”

Momori and Tarmo instantly apologized to Reina and returned to their work like nothing had happened. Reina was dumbfounded staring at the two men. She didn’t know, but it was taboo to talk about a lack of hair in Momori and Tarmo’s store. Most of the actual regulars were all bald. It was a holy place for people with hair loss all over the world.

Cappuccino quietly whispered this to her. After a while, Reina looked like it was ridiculous. “Ah, really. There are all sorts of NPCs. Why did you make an appointment at a store like this? It is strange. This game.”

“Isn’t it interesting? Hahaha.” Just as Cappuccino was laughing, they heard the breaking news that the descent of the gods had begun. The people here became noisy as they waited for the descent of the gods. However, it was written that they wouldn’t descend straight away. It would take them 30 minutes to come.

In a corner of the pub...

“You really don’t regret it?” Damian asked Michael next to him. He was asking if Michael regretted not becoming king and ruling a kingdom.

Michael smiled and shook his head. “I have no thoughts about this. I put everything down, so it is easy to see...”

Michael closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and drinking the beer in front of him. Damian followed Michael and drank.

‘You have really left my hand now.’

In fact, it was a bit unfortunate for Damian. In the meantime, he had done many preparations for Michael that cost time and money. Once Michael said he had no thoughts about it, Damian didn’t think it was a waste. Rather, he had more thoughts. It was about what to do in the future.

“...Should we join the Atlan Kingdom?”

“It isn’t bad.”

Michael slowly nodded. At present, the Ark Continent was experiencing a period of turmoil. It was probably natural since most of the kingdoms and rulers sustaining this world had been lost. Fortunately, as king, Choi Chuntaek had the territory and funds to embrace the people wandering around the continent. Since there was a high level NPC with governing power, the confusion was quickly cleared up and people gathered to him. Perhaps it was meant to be like this from the beginning.

‘Yes. This is destiny. It was my destiny to be like this.’

Michael slowly reflected on his past self, lost in thought. He had always dreamed of being the best and there were things that couldn’t fill him up. His life was like a horse race. It was a very lonely journey as he ran without looking back. He only stared in front of him. Then once he put it all down, there were many things he realized. He looked around and enjoyed the process itself. Michael had only recently felt that he was really on his journey now.

“Yes, I understand.”

Damian put it all down, just like Michael. The Zeus Guild, at the top of the game, finally entered Choi Chuntaek’s arms.

* * *

At the Atlan Sea, deep underwater...

10 days had passed since Chairman Lee Geonmyeong died, but Joseph hadn’t given up. He wanted to know the truth behind his brother-in-law, Kang Jaeseong, ending up in a coma. The only clue was the letter his brother-in-law left behind. Joseph gathered the members of Argos and started their underwater journey together. Then he was finally able to reach the area indicated by the coordinates today.

“We are finally here.”

Joseph looked around with a sentimental expression. Currently, he and the members of Argos were breathing in the water due to the mermaid’s scale in their mouths. In the meantime, they fought various sea monsters. Some people died and returned to the continent. Still, most of them survived because of an item called kraken’s ink.

‘It is rewarding despite the expensive price.’

The kraken was one of the upper-class sea predators and kraken’s ink was one of the most expensive high-end magic materials. If it was used against monsters in the sea, it could trick their eyes and cause confusion and paralysis. Joseph and the members of Argos had drank the antidote beforehand so they could swim away in the chaos.

In any case, they reached this point at last.

“Sigh.” Joseph took slow, deep breaths. Once he found some peace of mind, he closed his eyes before slowly opening them.

“I don’t know what will appear ahead. Everyone, be vigilant.”

At Joseph’s words, all the members of Argos moved while holding their breaths. Joseph slowly walked forward. Then he noticed something in front of him.

‘A wave? How...?’

Joseph’s eyes widened at the phenomenon of a wave in the water. He gulped and moved his arm there. Joseph, who had closed his eyes when he anticipated something would happen, slowly opened his eyes.

“......?”

He looked blank for a moment before stuttering as if he had grasped the situation.

“Hah. N-Nothing happened?”

After confirming that nothing really happened, Joseph told the members of Argos to stay back and wait. Then he walked straight inside the wave. Soon, he found a huge monument inside the barrier.

‘Why is there a huge monument...?’

Joseph approached the monument and started to slowly examine it. He wanted to see if something was written on it. As expected, there was something written on it.

“Monument of Promise.”

Suddenly, there was a sudden burst of light and the monument started to shine. It was a light that couldn’t be resisted. Upon closer inspection, it was due to the letters leaking from the monument. Joseph slowly read the sentences written on it.

[If you want to cross the Sea of Time and go to the land of the dead, break the old promise. However, if you aren’t the chosen one, you will live as a slave to death for the rest of your life.]

‘Sea of Time. Land of the dead. Old promise?’

Joseph slowly pondered on the contents of the monument, but he couldn’t understand it. Additionally, the last sentence was very scary. If he wasn’t the chosen one, he would be a slave to death for the rest of his life.

‘Perhaps the chosen one is...’

At his moment, there was a lot of noise and movement. Joseph headed straight out of the barrier. What welcomed him was the tip of the spears of many merfolk. The one who appeared to be their leader stepped forward. “An outsider has made his way to the sacred sanctuary. I will immediately arrest you in the name of Neptune, who defends Atlantis.”

* * *

At the same time...

I was standing on the altar in the central square of Metheus. Behind me were Park Muyeol and Park Maksun. There were also Mido, the guild members of Icarus, and many other young people I had an acquaintance with. All around me, people were looking up, sighing, and bowing as they waited for the descent of the gods.

The priests from all over the world were also gathered. Based on the different colors of their clothes, they were priests supporting different gods. They were all looking forward to the descent of the gods with sincere eyes.

“Then shall I begin?”

There were 30 minutes remaining until the descent of the gods. In this time, I would make some dishes to give to the gods. I immediately summoned Jinny to make a cloud kitchen and started making the weather dishes.

“Ohh! His Majesty has started cooking!”

“That is the weather cooking!”

“So beautiful!”

Many of the people in Atlan were chefs. They all longed to see me cook with the weather.

They looked ecstatic as they admired the weather dishes I was making.

After a while, the dishes were completed.

“Sigh. It’s hard.”

The dish in front of me was made by combining all the essences I had obtained so far. The sun and clouds were floating above a plate made of clouds, the wind was blowing, and the snow was swirling. There were cries of admiration from the people and constant praise. I tried to ignore them as I immediately used dokkaebi magic on the dish in front of me.

[Dokkaebi magic ‘Giant Transformation’ has been used.]

I slowly controlled the magic and determined the size. I stopped the magic once it finally got to the right size. Cheers and applause poured in from around me. Whistling sounds were also heard.

In this period, Mido’s loud voice was heard, “Grandfather, cool—!”

I smiled as I watched Mido clapping and whistling. Then, finally...

[The descent of the gods has begun!]

They started coming.