The next morning, Min Jae woke up to chaos. Not the usual chaos of misplaced socks or his kettle refusing to work. No, this was goat-based chaos.
He was brushing his teeth when his phone buzzed. A message from the village app he'd secretly coded using a basic offline interface:
> ALERT: GOJI IS MISSING. THE CHICKENS ARE RESTLESS.
He nearly spit toothpaste across the screen. "The chickens are what now?"
---
Return Trip: Operation Goat Rescue
Min Jae packed a new batch of supplies into his bag:
An extendable selfie stick
A small speaker
A Bluetooth tracker (for the goat)
Another six-pack of choco pies
He dropped through the trapdoor like he was late for work.
When he arrived, a crowd had already gathered. Villagers looked panicked. Children were crying. Someone was shaking a bell and muttering prayers to the "Cloaked Snack Bringer."
Yulena appeared beside him, arms crossed, sword drawn.
"Goji vanished in the early hours. Tracks lead west into the Fogwood."
"Didn't we just make peace with Fogwood bandits?"
Yulena nodded grimly. "That was before the goat insulted their chieftain."
Min Jae blinked. "I'm going to need... a lot more context."
---
Meanwhile, in the Marketplace
While villagers prepared a search party, a new presence had arrived in town. A traveling merchant named Kaldo, dressed in bright silks and wearing a suspiciously toothy smile, had set up a wagon just outside the main road.
He sold glimmering trinkets, mysterious potions, and a bag labeled "Magic Beans (Definitely Not Regular Beans)."
Min Jae approached cautiously.
"Do you accept Korean won or mobile pay?"
Kaldo blinked. "Do you accept goat milk and shiny stones?"
They stared at each other for a long moment.
"Fair," Min Jae said.
They shook hands.
---
Tech Meets Trade
Min Jae returned to his shed and began preparing new inventions for the village: a pulley system for the well, a filtered water barrel using charcoal layers, and something he called "Torch 2.0" — a flashlight with rechargeable batteries.
Villagers watched in awe. Kaldo, ever the entrepreneur, took notes.
"Your wares are... unconventional," Kaldo said.
"I'm not a wizard," Min Jae replied.
"You say that, and yet your socks match. That alone is magic."
---
The Goat is Found
That night, Yulena returned victorious, Goji the goat in tow, wearing a bandana made of stolen Fogwood cloth.
"He now has diplomatic immunity," she said.
Min Jae patted the goat's head. "You're a menace."
Goji sneezed and knocked over a lantern.
---
Money Talks
Back home, Min Jae posted a picture of the glow crystal on an auction site. Within minutes, a bidding war started. He received an offer to sell 'more of the same magical crystals.'
He looked at the trapdoor.
Then he looked at his calendar.
Then he made a spreadsheet titled: "Otherworld Product Pipeline."
The real world wasn't ready.
But Min Jae was.