Choi Kangjoong sliced the well-cooked meat.
The snow-white flesh was firm and plump.
He felt like he could tell the texture without even eating it. He put a piece in his mouth and chewed.
As expected, it was chewy. A savory flavor burst forth. Even though he hadn’t seasoned it with salt, it was perfectly salted.
“Ah.”
“This is amazing.”
“It’s ten times more delicious than I heard.”
The crew members busily moved their scissors and chopsticks.
“Try this too.”
Choi Kangjoong ate the Anti-Magic Shell sashimi that Dielka had given him. Unlike the grilled version, it had a cool, fresh, and savory flavor.
He felt like he understood why the Anti-Magic Shell could no longer be found near the Enterprise Union.
“I heard it’s incredibly delicious if you boil ramen in the shell. Should I make some for you?” Do Seung-cheol asked.
“What’s ramen?”
“You don’t know what ramen is? It’s the soul food of Koreans! You like it too, right, Captain?”
When Dielka asked, Joo Eun-jong replied, “I love ramen.”
“The Captain wants it, so hurry up and boil some!”
The cook, who was in charge of preparing meals on the ship, poured water into the Anti-Magic Shell. After cutting some meat from the shell and adding it, he waited for the water to boil before sprinkling in the seasoning packets and red pepper flakes. Finally, he added twenty packs of noodles all at once.
Everyone waited while swallowing their saliva, but Dielka frowned.
“What is this smell? Did you use Suppression Magic?”
Among Suppression Magic, there were spells similar to tear gas that neutralized opponents by making them suffer.
“If someone who can’t eat spicy food tries this, it’ll have an effect similar to a Suppression Magic spell exploding in their mouth,” Joo Eun-jong said.
Dielka blocked her nose and stepped away.
“Ugh. Why do you eat something like that?”
“Because it’s delicious. Right, Captain?”
“You should try it too, Dielka. It’s good.”
Choi Kangjoong scooped up a bit of noodles and broth and gave it to her. Dielka stared at it as if it were a live octopus before closing her eyes tight and swallowing it.
“Oh? This is actually okay. It’s delicious!”
“You eat spicy food better than I thought.”
“Dark Elves love stimulating things. There are some dimensional monsters that have a stinging taste when you eat them. We eat those as snacks or grind them up to put in dishes.”
Dielka scooped up more noodles and broth and ate them. When she even ate the onions and peppers, the crew members marveled at her.
“This lady really knows how to eat.”
“Didn’t I hear that Elves only eat vegetables? And with some greasy stuff drizzled over them.”
“I heard Elf nobles are incredibly picky.”
“Try dipping it in this. It’s called gochujang, and it makes everything taste better.”
“Try some garlic too.”
“This is Makgeolli. It’s killer when you drink it with spicy food.”
The scene looked like a foreigner visiting the Korean countryside being offered various local foods. Dielka ate the garlic and drank the Makgeolli well. To a Dark Elf who had wandered the Dimensional Sea and eaten everything imaginable, ramen, onions, garlic, and peppers were delicious treats.
“Is there more of this? I should take some home.”
“We should set aside some of our own portions for her.”
“Give her a cup of mix coffee too. Her palate is just like a local’s.”
Dielka gulped down the mix coffee and let out an exclamation of admiration.
Thanks to her enjoying everything, a warm atmosphere filled the air.
When a crew member brought over a bundle of ramen, garlic, onions, and peppers, Choi Kangjoong told him to put it back because he would give her some himself.
These were items that would be hard for them to obtain since they had to go through Marsala.
Thump.
The dimension ship shook. The Light Titan had struck the side of the ship to warn them that something large was approaching.
“It’s a dragon. I guess it’s coming to avenge the dead Guardian.”
As Dielka spoke, the crew members quickly cleared the deck.
Choi Kangjoong, Dielka, and Joo Eun-jong moved onto the Light Titan’s back.
Since the probability of a fight was high, he summoned Lutal and the Booster together.
“It’s a bit small. I heard the Dragon Lord who appeared in Marsala 100 years ago was over 1 kilometer long.”
“Still, a dragon is a dragon.”
“I can easily crush something of that level,” Dielka said.
Dragons were classified as S-Class even though they couldn’t handle high-tier Mana.
This was due to the power stemming from their size, their Dragon Speech Magic—which had fast casting speeds and excellent power—and their Breath.
Dielka could offset all disadvantages with just one Death Spirit. If she landed a single arrow infused with Death Mana, even a dragon couldn’t ignore it.
[How dare you kill my Guardian and take the Anti-Magic Shell without permission!]
The dragon, which had stopped 1 kilometer away, sent out communication magic in a wide area. To a human, it was like shouting to make the surroundings ring loudly.
“Before you make such a stupid thing your Guardian, why don’t you teach it some manners first?” shouted Dielka, who had been insulted the most by the Twin-head Ogre.
[I am a great existence! My Guardian is the executor of a great being’s will, and you lowly creatures must simply obey!]
“What did I tell you? I said the master would have a nasty personality too.”
“I think that guy lacks situational awareness.”
“He must be so arrogant that he can’t even see my Spirit or your summons, Outer.”
The dragon fired a barrage of fireballs. As the yellow flames surged forward, Choi Kangjoong turned the Light Titan.
Krak-boom!
The Chitin Gauntlet broke, and blood sprayed. The place where Choi Kangjoong, Dielka, and Joo Eun-jong were standing shook violently.
“Lutal, teach him a lesson.”
“Grrr.”
Lutal, who had merged with the Booster, soared up and flew toward the dragon.
As it closed the distance in a straight line, a bright red beam of light suddenly fell from above, forcing it to change direction quickly.
If it had been a normal attack, it could have been avoided by a slight dodge, but since it was a dragon’s Breath, it had to put as much distance as possible between itself and the beam.
Another dragon that had fired the Breath from above flew down and blocked Lutal’s path. It was twice as large as Nakstu, and its scales shone like gold.
[Stop the fighting!]
At the dragon’s words, Lutal stopped.
[I am Alsdine, and I serve the same Lord as Nakstu. I apologize on behalf of this young one’s rudeness.]
“I don’t need your apology; the one hiding behind you is the one who needs to apologize.”
Nakstu poked his head out and threw a fit about who was hiding. When Alsdine struck Nakstu’s head with his tail, he became quiet.
[Nakstu has learned nothing but arrogance, so he is one who will never apologize. I am sorry. As a sign of apology, I shall give you a few of my scales.]
At Alsdine’s calm words, Dielka’s anger softened. Dragon scales were top-tier materials that could be sold for a high price or used effectively for oneself.
Alsdine detached three scales from his tail and let them drift into the Dimensional Sea. Lutal retrieved them and returned.
“They really are scales.”
“Wow! Dragon scales!”
Dielka was satisfied, and Joo Eun-jong held up his phone, repeatedly pressing the shutter button.
“What would you like to do?”
“Let’s let it go for now.”
“For now?”
“Yeah. I have a bad feeling.”
“Why?”
“That Breath that the dragon named Alsdine fired. He shot it at the exact point that would be hardest for my summon to dodge. If his purpose was truly to stop the fight, he would have fired it only as a threat.”
“So you’re saying if the one who brought the scales had been hit, the situation would have changed?”
“Probably.”
“Then let’s do as you say, Outer.”
Dielka shouted that she would accept the apology.
[I shall teach him well so that such a thing never happens again.]
“Try to educate him properly. Even if he lacks manners, there’s a limit.”
[I was thinking of inviting you to my lair later to show you the results. Interacting with the strong is my own way of filling the long years.]
Alsdine was speaking in a roundabout way about how interacting with the strong was his hobby.
“It would be great for us if you invited us. Where is it?”
[It is in a sea area not far from here. Will you come with me?]
“Sure. But we can’t go right now. We have to transport the Anti-Magic Shell.”
Accepting the suspicious invitation, Dielka winked at Choi Kangjoong.
[In that case, I shall leave my Guardian here. Come whenever you wish.]
“By the way, what is the name of the Lord you serve together?”
[Ladespina. The one who maintains the order of the world.]
“That’s a cool name.”
[She will welcome you as well.]
Alsdine flew away. When Nakstu didn’t follow, Alsdine returned and wrapped his tail around Nakstu’s body to take him away.
“Outer, do you know what kind of guy Ladespina is?”
“Wasn’t that the dragon who invaded Marsala 100 years ago and demanded tribute?”
“How did you know?”
“I heard it from Iselin.”
“The Princess is unexpectedly talkative. She just sips tea whenever she’s in front of me.”
“Captain, are you really going to that invitation?” Joo Eun-jong chimed in.
“I’m planning to. Why?”
“I’m sure you know, but I have a bad feeling about this. It looks like a trap no matter how you look at it. It’ll just be a hassle if you go.”
“That’s why I’m going.”
“What?”
“There’s going to be a lot of delicious food.”
Choi Kangjoong intended to swallow them whole when they brought more dragons and guardians, rather than just eating the two of them right now.
“Delicious food…? You’re not planning on taking me too, are you?”
“Do you want to die?”
“No. Absolutely not!”
Choi Kangjoong unfolded Source Space Severance and opened a Gate. Through the opening, he could see Alsdine and Nakstu flying at high speed. Questioning the Gate that had suddenly opened and closed, Alsdine circled around that location. Thanks to the Source Space Severance, Choi Kangjoong was not discovered.
Alsdine’s interest eventually faded. A random Gate appearing wasn’t exactly a strange occurrence.
“Hang onto the tip of his tail.”
Choi Kangjoong summoned a Central Stealth Scout. Since he had made a few extra when he was producing them in bulk, he had some to spare.
Moving quietly with Stealth Blink, he attached the Central Stealth Scout to Alsdine’s tail.
The Central Stealth Scout hooked its Abyssal Claw between the scales.
Alsdine only glanced back once. Unless he was intentionally using detection magic, it was difficult to find the Central Stealth Scout.
Choi Kangjoong returned. When Dielka asked where he had been, he told her he had set up a tail.
“Did you mine all the Anti-Magic Shell?”
“Of course. There was no more room, so I piled them on the deck.”
“Let’s go back.”
Choi Kangjoong opened a Gate near the Apocalyde Dimension. It was too far to return directly to Earth. He moved through that Gate along with the dimension ship, then opened another Gate to return to Earth.
All the Anti-Magic Shell became Choi Kangjoong’s property. The dimension ship crew had gone there because Joo Eun-jong had hired them, and they were satisfied with having eaten grilled Anti-Magic Shell and ramen. Still, feeling a bit bad about just leaving, he gave each crew member an Anti-Magic Shell.
To Joo Eun-jong, he gave one dragon scale and ten Anti-Magic Shells. Joo Eun-jong insisted on paying for the dragon scale, but Choi Kangjoong flatly refused.
He also gave Dielka one dragon scale and twenty Anti-Magic Shells.
She said that having gone along was enough, but he simply left them in the yard of her mansion and returned.
“I should give some to my parents too. Though I don’t want to give any to Choi Yunseo.”
He wanted to make Choi Yunseo, who had bragged on social media, look like she was just counting her chickens before they hatched.
‘Should I grill them at my house?’
He thought it would be nice to build a fire in the yard and grill the Anti-Magic Shell. He quickly contacted his parents. Not long after, a text came from Choi Yunseo.
[Choi Yunseo: What about me? What about me? What about me? What about me? What about me? What about me?]
When he intentionally ignored her, a call came every minute. Thinking that was enough, he sent a text telling her to coordinate her time with their parents and come together.
‘I should give some to Iselin too.’
Even if he didn’t give her any, she wouldn’t say it directly, but she would surely make it clear with her whole body that she was upset.
As he opened a Gate to go to Iselin, the Central Stealth Scout relayed the conversation between Alsdine and Nakstu.
‘Just as I expected.’
Alsdine was plotting something.
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