Chapter 8 : The Proof of Taste

Yuseong and Shin Jia’s experiment continued.

At first, they started with something simple like rice wrapped in roasted seaweed, then later grilled bacon and fried potatoes, trying various dishes.

None were gourmet meals, but the flavors were guaranteed.

Since the samgyeopsal, it was the first time Shin Jia had tasted such diverse foods, and the shock was immense.

It was as if fireworks exploded in her mind, an unending series of emotional bursts.

Yuseong realized something new about her: Shin Jia’s stomach was much bigger than he had imagined.

She was already supposed to be full, yet she endlessly demanded more food.

She hardly looked like someone who had survived a lifetime eating only energy bars.

“Next dish!”

“Stop.”

“Huh?”

“Look at your wings.”

Only then did Shin Jia realize her own condition.

She was hovering a few centimeters above the ground. Once again, she had received Icarus’s Blessing and grown wings.

She had gotten accustomed to using the Blessing and was now able to fly a little.

That wasn’t all.

With the effect of Tammijuui stacking, her physical abilities temporarily increased.

Just a moment ago, she lost control and snapped a ladle in half.

Shin Jia folded her wings with a bitter expression.

“How much longer does the Blessing last?”

“Looks like about five more minutes. As time passes, the usable time seems to gradually decrease.”

The Blessing was rechargeable.

In other words, by eating beforehand, one could activate the Blessing during battle.

Thus, compared to other Buffers with similar Gifts, it was no handicap at all.

Yuseong admired his own ability.

“Improves my abilities, heals, and buffs too.”

“I don’t really get it, but it sounds amazing!”

However, Shin Jia had no idea just how powerful Yuseong’s ability really was.

Whether it was the government or any guild, if they understood Yuseong’s power fully, recruitment offers would flood in.

He could single-handedly fulfill the roles of Combatant, Buffer, and Healer—at least three people’s worth.

And none of these individual functions were lacking in efficacy.

If only there weren’t any restrictions about having to eat delicious food—though even with those, it was undoubtedly a top-tier Gift.

Recalling his past struggles with the ambiguous Gift called Evil Appetite made his mouth taste bitter.

“We could start exploring immediately.”

Yuseong twisted the tip of the kitchen knife he was holding with his fingers.

Thanks to how well Shin Jia had been eating, Yuseong’s ability scores had risen considerably.

Crack.

The blade made of alloy steel bent slightly.

“That’s an expensive ability.”

Using Shin Jia to boost ability scores this much every morning wasn’t something he could do often.

Past ingredients weren’t easy to come by, so going forward, they would likely rely on Abyss ingredients again.

Still, today’s growth exceeded all expectations.

All thanks to how well Shin Jia had been eating beyond imagination.

“I’m still a bit hungry…”

He was almost sick of her appetite.

“No more, the main dish is still left.”

“Oh, right, the dakbokkeumtang!”

Yuseong hadn’t prepared anything too fancy for Shin Jia.

If she ate too much stimulating food in advance, she might not appreciate the true flavor of the dakbokkeumtang.

He opened the lid of the pot he had been stirring.

“It’s done.”

The spicy and sweet marinade bubbled gently as it simmered.

Despite having eaten quite a few snacks already, the delicious aroma made his mouth water.

“I’m telling you, the meal is ready.”

Now, it was time to impress the chairman.

***

Even while handling business, Lee Woo Do couldn’t focus.

His ability was to fully concentrate when on duty, no matter what else was going on.

But the image of the dakbokkeumtang kept lingering in his mind.

So, when he heard the meal was ready and headed to the dining room, he broke protocol and hurried without any regard for appearances.

Yuseong did not disappoint his expectations.

“Huh, wow.”

The chairman of Cheonghwa, who had seen and experienced countless rare things, was deeply moved just by the spread of food on the table.

“So this is rakshik’s dakbokkeumtang.”

“Yes, the recipe was from grandfather—sprinkling crispy fried garlic chips and fried scallions.”

A whole native chicken was coated with a spicy and sweet marinade.

The crispy fried garlic chips and scallion tempura were all gone.

Perfectly cooked rice chestnuts and kimchi were also prepared.

“I didn’t expect there to be soju too.”

There was even soju in the pantry.

The bottle’s green glass rattled with the slight chill inside.

Yuseong opened the bottle and poured soju into Lee Woo Do’s glass.

The chairman caught the bottle and poured for Yuseong in return.

“You drink too.”

“Okay.”

Yuseong served the largest drumstick on Lee Woo Do’s plate, then on Shin Jia’s, and finally his own.

“This kind of meal is rare.”

“With family…”

“My wife left long ago, and the younger kids and grandkids don’t eat together often. They say they have energy bars, so why eat proper meals? I once gave them warehouse access, but they stole ingredients to sell.”

The concept of dining as a ritual was difficult to understand in this day and age.

This kind of warm family meal was rare even for Lee Woo Do.

“Then let’s eat.”

“Enjoy your meal.”

“I will!”

Lee Woo Do signaled the start of the meal, and everyone grabbed their meat.

Lee Woo Do didn’t use forks or chopsticks; he grabbed the chicken drumstick with his bare hands with gusto.

Seeing the glistening drumstick, he swallowed his saliva.

After admiring it for a moment, he opened his mouth wide and took a big bite.

His teeth sank into the springy flesh, and the spicy marinade and meat juices flooded his mouth.

Behind the refreshing scent of chili powder was the sharp aroma of black pepper.

The sweetness came not just from sugar but naturally from the well-cooked green onions.

The seasoning was rich enough to be perfect with soju.

The tender meat was easy to chew.

He swallowed the bouncy chicken meat as if it were dancing inside his mouth and scooped a big spoonful of rice chestnut.

A perfect harmony.

The rice chestnut and spicy-sweet dakbokkeumtang were a flawless pair.

“Mm, the seasoning is perfect…!”

After savoring the happiness fully, he swallowed everything.

Finally, he took a sip of ice-cold soju, cleansing his palate.

Yuseong observed the chairman eating the dakbokkeumtang carefully.

He had the attitude of a chef watching a customer’s reaction.

After a long moment of silence, the chairman’s eyes gleamed.

“Delicious.”

It was just dakbokkeumtang, but in that moment, it felt as if time had been transcended.

Like after a hard day’s work, finishing a meal with a glass of soju.

The emotion was so strong it resonated deeply with Yuseong as well.

A smile finally formed on his face.

He ate the dakbokkeumtang with peace of mind.

The somewhat chaotic meal continued, and soon the dakbokkeumtang was almost gone.

At last, everyone could relax.

“Chairman, do you remember what I told you earlier?”

“Uh, what was that again?”

Lee Woo Do regretted being so absentminded while eating and tried to cover it with a cough.

“I said I wanted to prove the ability I can use as an Explorer.”

“Ah, of course. I remember clearly.”

Though intoxicated by the dakbokkeumtang, Lee Woo Do nodded as if he had been waiting for this.

“Did you say eating delicious food makes you stronger?”

“It’s not just that.”

Yuseong had been suppressing the stirring of his magic from the beginning.

“Let me show you.”

He released the limit, activating the effect of Tammijuui.

“Kraaak!”

Wings suddenly sprouted from Shin Jia’s back as she listened intently.

“W-what is this?”

Not only that, Lee Woo Do was startled by the hot energy spreading throughout his body.

“Others who eat my food also receive the Blessing.”

“Oh, oh!”

As he ate, Lee Woo Do’s back, which had been hurting more with age, made cracking sounds.

“Crack!”

His lower back stretched and the pain faded.

Strength began to return to his lean body as muscles swelled like those of a young man.

Yuseong smiled knowingly.

He kept receiving messages that Tammijuui’s effect was active.

[Your companion is reminiscing through the food.]

[A taste that transcends time!]

[Your companion is impressed by your flavor.]

[Additionally, strength greatly increases.]

[Stamina slightly increases.]

[Magic slightly increases.]

Yuseong, Shin Jia, and Lee Woo Do—all were moved by the taste of the dakbokkeumtang.

Thanks to this, Yuseong’s ability scores rose at once, rivaling all that he had gained through Shin Jia alone earlier.

Since taste is subjective, such a special dish seemed to offer an even greater reward.

“Impressive!”

“And cooking also makes me stronger.”

Yuseong showed how he handled the steel knife like it was soft clay.

“This is just the beginning; I’ll only get stronger later. Not only that, as you saw, thanks to this Gift, I can fulfill both Buffer and Healer roles.”

“Indeed, my whole body feels energized.”

Like with Shin Jia, Lee Woo Do also received some sort of Blessing.

Unlike Shin Jia’s wings, the chairman’s muscles swelled and his strength increased.

So perhaps it was a physical enhancement type.

“Amazing, what exactly is this Blessing…?”

Suddenly, Lee Woo Do’s expression changed.

He touched his bald head with his hands, feeling it.

“Uh, uh…”

From his smooth scalp, thick hair suddenly sprouted.

Whoosh!

[Temporarily grants the companion ‘Blessing of Samson’.]

Samson, the mythical hero famous for his superhuman strength.

It was said that his power came from his remarkable hair.

Now, at 73 years old, the chairman had long, iron-like black hair.

It looked gaudy and was hardly a pleasant sight.

Lee Woo Do kept touching his long hair as if he couldn’t believe it was his.

“This is…”

“Uh, well, you can always cut the hair off.”

The Blessing of Samson.

Lee Woo Do recalled the legendary figure Samson from myths.

“Samson, the hero in mythology. His incredible strength comes from his hair…”

“There are minor side effects, but it’s definitely a top-tier Gift. Don’t you feel the overwhelming power?”

Seeing Lee Woo Do’s face harden, cold sweat broke out on Yuseong’s back.

It would have been perfect if wings had sprouted like Shin Jia’s.

But the Blessing of Samson?

The chairman looked like a man wearing an ill-fitting wig.

At first, he was thrilled, but his mood soured, and this might become a story without any sponsorship.

Lee Woo Do continued touching his hair silently.

“…Hey.”

“…Yes?”

“It’s the best Gift.”

Lee Woo Do’s mood was not bad—it was quite the opposite.

Yuseong’s mouth opened unconsciously.

“Alright. Yuseong will sponsor you in Cheonghwa’s name.”

“…Y-yes.”

When Yuseong said this without hesitation and with a subtle expression, Lee Woo Do finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly explained.

“I-I don’t know what you were thinking, but you’re not unhappy, right?”

“Of course, I’m happy.”

“Cough, hmm. Just eating food makes you stronger, and you can grant Blessings to others too. Any company would covet this Gift.”

“That’s right…”

The more he spoke, the more awkward he felt. The chairman quickly ended the conversation.

“Alright, from now on, I’ll provide financial support and all the equipment necessary for Abyss exploration. Grab your gear on your way out!”

A bright smile finally appeared on Yuseong’s face.

Sponsorship from a large corporation was a tremendous thing.

All the equipment and support were covered, something all explorers dreamed of.

It was something impossible to imagine in his previous life.

He had earned all this just from a single dakbokkeumtang.

Shin Jia, watching this unfold beside them, clapped her hands happily.

Lee Woo Do’s wrath was directed at Shin Jia this time.

“By the way, you’ve been working hard helping Yuseong too. What will you get?”

“M-me?”

Shin Jia was flustered when the chairman called on her.

“If there’s something you want, say it. Thanks to the rare meal you experienced.”

Trying not to watch the chairman fondly touching his hair, Shin Jia pondered.

She wasn’t exactly quick-witted.

But even she realized this was an opportunity.

The goodwill of the chairman of the Cheonghwa Group.

It was difficult to decide what to ask for.

“Money…?”

That was the first thing that came to mind.

Her grandfather had borrowed 1 million won, but the debt had swelled to 8 million won.

That’s why ruthless thugs harassed him and her.

But was it right to ask for money?

Though that amount was nothing to Lee Woo Do, she had only just met Yuseong today, and all she had done was be his assistant.

Thinking about it made her recall her grandfather’s suffering.

“An IOU…”

If she asked for money just for helping with a little moving and tasting, how shameless would that seem?

She might get scolded and driven away.

But if this was a chance…

“M-my family has debts…”

“She’s stubborn, isn’t she?”

Suddenly, Yuseong interrupted.

“Looks like she’s honest.”

“But she couldn’t go to university because of family circumstances. If you put her in Cheonghwa’s scholarship program, it would really help this friend.”

“Our scholarship program requires fairly good grades.”

“If she dedicates herself to studying, I’m sure she’ll do well.”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll arrange it.”

Shin Jia closed her eyes tightly.

Yuseong felt a little disappointed.

Though it would be great if she could get a scholarship, the urgent problem was the 8 million won debt.

What he truly regretted was that he hadn’t stopped it sooner.

The truth was, she really wanted to go to university.

She could have just said no, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Just as Shin Jia was about to speak about the debt again after a long silence—

“Study hard, Jia. Our special scholarship comes with excellent support once conditions are met. Full tuition waiver, a first scholarship grant of 10 million won, plus monthly academic support. If you do well, you might even get a job at our company.”

“…Really…?”

Her eyes brimmed with tears, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

She glanced at the chairman’s warm smile, then looked back at Yuseong.

Without speaking, Yuseong’s lips formed the words.

“Congratulations.”

In the end, Shin Jia smiled with her mouth but tears flowed from her eyes.