Chapter 30: After the Hunt

“Ohhh.”

Blessing of the Rooster Star.

Could it be because he had caught the Regression-type monster, the Golden-Horned Fowl?

Even when achievements are made by hunting Regression-type monsters, the special rewards don’t always come the same.

When Yuseong caught the Golden-Horned Fowl before Regression, he had achieved a similar feat, but the only bonus had been an increase in pain resistance.

“It’s just that when you hunt them together in a group, the quality’s different.”

Yuseong lifted the Rose Knife and tried to draw up some mana.

He could feel the Blessing of the Rooster Star activating.

Vuuuum.

The blade’s edge slightly vibrated.

His Rose Knife began to emit a delicate glow.

“Hooh.”

The blood of the Golden-Horned Fowl, thick and dripping, slid down and fell.

Not only that, but it also started to glisten as if freshly polished.

“Does the rooster’s crow chase away evil?”

A smile spread across Yuseong’s lips.

The Golden-Horned Fowl was large but clearly a monster resembling a chicken.

The beak, claws, feathers, and even its crowing sound were all the same.

Yuseong had seen this effect happen multiple times before.

It was the Purge-type Blessing that had a special effect on Ghost-type or Undead monsters.

Probably, even when facing ghostly monsters, he could manage without any additional buffs.

And what pleased him the most was:

“The knife work’s going to get a lot easier.”

Since he used the Rose Knife as both a kitchen knife and a weapon, the sharpening and maintenance were always important tasks.

But thanks to the Blessing of the Rooster Star, maintaining the three knives would become much simpler.

“Alright, all done with the prep!”

Jang Dojin entered the yard and brought over the Masok and byproducts.

“As expected, these aren’t ordinary Masok.”

The highest value was undoubtedly the Golden-Horned Fowl’s Masok.

True to its name, even the Masok was coated in gold dust.

“At least Grade 10, for sure.”

The Steel Buffalo’s Masok had been Grade 7. The Golden-Horned Fowl’s was not only larger but also had superior mana.

Not only that, but the Golden-Horned Fowl’s Masok had the property of self-purifying contaminants, which made it several times more valuable.

“I also brought the claws and the beak.”

“Oh?”

Jang Dojin, who had previously shied away from even the corpse or blood of a monster that large, now handled things thoroughly after becoming more experienced.

The claws and beak were just as precious as the Masok.

“Truly fascinating.”

“Is this real gold?”

“Yeah, it’s real gold.”

The Golden-Horned Fowl’s claws were made of gold.

It became famous after it was revealed that more than half of the material was genuine gold.

Chinese collectors who loved gold had gone crazy, and apparently, the breed of Golden-Horned Fowl had already been wiped out in China.

“Those dogs killed the golden egg layers and kept nothing.”

“We didn’t kill them, did we?”

“There are still plenty in Korea, so it’s fine.”

It felt like a nostalgic folk song would naturally come to mind.

“How much was the fortune before Regression again?”

Before Regression, Yuseong wasn’t very greedy for money.

It wasn’t that he was pure or simple.

Rather, he simply hadn’t had the chance to save money.

He was busy struggling just to live day by day, stuck in the Abyss all the time.

There was no real need to save money to buy a house or a car.

As far as he remembered, his bank balance had never even reached nine digits.

“If it keeps going like this, becoming rich won’t be far off.”

But after Regression, he developed a greed for money.

Not only was he earning huge amounts quickly, but he was also investing all his savings in Cheonghwa stock.

Although he was so trapped in the Abyss that he didn’t know much about the outside world, it was clear Cheonghwa was destined to rise.

“Well then, I’ll set up my own personal cold storage and join overseas auctions too…”

At least domestically, auctions for ingredients had completely disappeared.

The only way to obtain ingredients now was through overseas black markets or personal trades with Hunters.

Either way, it was sure to cost a tremendous amount of money.

“And someday, when the raid is over…”

Ultimately, when Yuseong fully clears the Abyss and prosperity returns to the world.

“I’ll open my own restaurant.”

He would open the best restaurant—his very own.

His heart swelled with hope.

The first restaurant of the new era.

Its owner would be Yuseong.

Growl rrrrok.

At that moment, his stomach growled.

Jang Dojin looked expectantly, probably hungry as well.

“Good.”

Catching a single Golden-Horned Fowl had brought many benefits.

But what made Yuseong happiest was the pile of eggs stacked in the basket.

To Yuseong’s memory, these were the finest delicacy.

Twelve thick, rich eggs that could rival any bird species.

“Let’s eat first.”

Now that they had secured the best ingredients, it was time to use them.

***

Cooking inside the Abyss often required using a waterside location.

It was good for both cleaning the bowls and supplying fresh water.

Yuseong and Jang Dojin found a rather decent spot.

A quiet riverside, basking in sunlight—a perfect place for camping.

“To think I’d get to eat steaming rice inside the Abyss. Heh heh.”

Yuseong took out some polished rice and put it into the pot.

Making pot-cooked rice was simple.

First, rinse the rice clean with fresh water by the riverside, then put it in the pot with water and boil.

When the water boiled vigorously, open the lid and reduce the heat until the moisture evaporated.

Once mostly done, cover the lid and let it steam for about five minutes.

The smell of freshly cooked rice wafted warmly.

“They call this ‘Soy Sauce Egg Rice’ too.”

“Is it called Soy Sauce Egg Rice because it’s made with soy sauce eggs? Do they really have to shorten the name like that…?”

“I know that. They say it’s just an abbreviation.”

“Abbreviation of what?”

“They abbreviate everything these days.”

“…Why do you talk like that?”

“Isn’t that the way people speak nowadays?”

“No one talks like that.”

“Ahem, hmm.”

Sometimes, the twenty years between his past and current self felt strange.

Though Jang Dojin was only two years older than Yuseong, being treated like an old man like this suddenly felt unfair.

“Well, abbreviations are fine, man.”

“Why are you angry, hyung?”

“If you don’t like it, don’t eat it!”

“No, I don’t dislike it, I don’t!”

After this playful banter, Jang Dojin quickly shut up.

Yuseong cleared his throat a few times and continued explaining.

Being around food raised their spirits quickly.

“In the world before the Great Cataclysm…”

Yuseong once read a webtoon.

It was a classic comic created before the Great Cataclysm, an episodic comic about a college student’s daily life.

Though it was a story from long ago, it strangely resonated and was quite entertaining.

But no matter how much he liked the webtoon, there was one episode he couldn’t accept.

Yuseong thought the biggest difference between before and after the Great Cataclysm was food.

The episode with the biggest sense of disconnect was also about food.

The protagonist, cooking in his small apartment, threw down his rice bowl, saying, “I’m so sick of this, damn it!”

It was a comic exaggeration about how boring eating the same menu every day could be.

Soy Sauce Egg Rice was the simplest meal for a poor, lonely college student living alone.

That menu was named for the frustration born of eating it so much.

In the comic, the protagonist threw his bowl down, but Yuseong wanted to throw his phone.

“The author must be spoiled!”

Though the screen cracked from his frustration, his anger didn’t subside.

Why would anyone throw away such precious food because they were sick of it?

If someone gave Yuseong a bowl of Soy Sauce Egg Rice, he was confident he’d be the happiest person alive.

Back then, his skills were weak, and he was in a miserable situation catching bugs and small monsters in the Abyss.

So he left out that story and only explained the prestige of Soy Sauce Egg Rice.

“So, Soy Sauce Egg Rice was a dish full of affection for college students before the Great Cataclysm.”

“Does that mean it doesn’t taste good?”

“No way—it’s incredibly delicious. That’s why people ate it until they were sick of it.”

“You really know your old stories, hyung.”

“Enough. Give me the eggs.”

Aside from the rice and seasonings, the main ingredient was the egg.

Therefore, the freshness and quality of the egg, and how perfectly it was cooked, were the most important factors.

And a Golden-Horned Fowl egg was the best ingredient, rivaling any bird’s eggs.

“Oil.”

“Yes.”

Yuseong solemnly accepted cooking oil as if receiving a scalpel from a nurse.

When putting oil in the wok, it’s best to pour generously.

The reason became clear the moment the Golden-Horned Fowl egg was dropped into the wok.

Chrrrroll.

The oil gleamed generously in the pan.

The egg began cooking, the whites bubbling and popping.

“Wow, such a nutty aroma.”

The Golden-Horned Fowl’s yolk looked fresh, a rich golden yellow.

The key was cooking the yolk sunny-side up, without breaking it.

The whites started turning brown and crispy around the edges.

At this point, sprinkle some pepper from the grinder and lightly season with salt to finish the fried egg.

“Next, the rice spoon.”

“Yum!”

Jang Dojin took out two bowls and filled them to the brim.

Usually, one egg wouldn’t be enough for this much rice.

But with the Golden-Horned Fowl egg, there was no need to worry.

One egg was bigger than a goose egg but smaller than an ostrich egg.

Adult-sized, it was just right for this amount of rice.

He placed the fried egg on the steaming rice.

They said fresh eggs kept the yolk intact, and Yuseong’s fried egg kept the yolk perfectly.

Now, all that remained was seasoning—and it was very simple.

A spoonful of sesame oil poured over the top, then two spoons of soy sauce sprinkled.

Finishing it off with a light dusting of sesame seeds.

“That good, huh?”

Jang Dojin asked with a doubtful expression.

He had watched Yuseong cook many times.

And Yuseong always put a huge amount of effort into his cooking.

But this Soy Sauce Egg Rice dish didn’t seem to require much effort.

“They say the taste matches the effort put into the cooking.”

“Yeah.”

“But sometimes, there are exceptions.”

“The smell is amazing.”

Even without putting his nose close, the nutty scent of sesame oil rose strongly.

“Crack the yolk and mix it well before eating.”

Yuseong swallowed his growing saliva and began mixing the Soy Sauce Egg Rice.

Jang Dojin carefully imitated Yuseong’s method.

He lightly coated the rice with the slightly brownish soy sauce, dipped some fried egg white, then scooped it up.

The hot steam rising from the bowl, he took a bite.

“Hmm.”

Unconsciously, he let out a sigh.

The combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, and flavors often used in Korean dishes like bulgogi was incredibly versatile because it was so excellent.

The perfectly cooked rice grains melted in his mouth, and the sesame oil’s nutty flavor was undeniable.

Perfect balance, a taste so good it seemed he could eat endlessly.

The star of the dish was the Golden-Horned Fowl fried egg.

The fried whites were crispy on the outside yet moist inside.

And the highlight was the softly flowing yolk.

That rich yolk was condensed with an astonishing umami flavor.

It was almost the very essence of umami.

The freshly ground pepper added a sharp fragrance that refreshed the palate.

Glug.

“Huh?”

Jang Dojin, who was savoring the taste, suddenly looked shocked.

He had only taken a few bites, but the amount of Soy Sauce Egg Rice in the bowl had significantly decreased.

He smiled wryly and took another bite.

“Wow, this is crazy. It’s almost as good as Steel Buffalo Bulgogi.”

Steel Buffalo Bulgogi was the most delicious dish Jang Dojin had ever eaten.

And Soy Sauce Egg Rice, with its simple preparation, was equally amazing.

It was truly comparable to Bulgogi Hot Pot.

His expression softened into a wide grin.

He was about to take another bite when he suddenly froze.

“What the—what’s going on here?”

This time it was definite.

The Soy Sauce Egg Rice had again noticeably decreased in amount.

In the large bowl, less than half of the food remained.

“Hyung, did you take some?”

Yuseong lifted his head from the bowl and asked, his face buried in the food.

“What nonsense are you talking about.”

“No, I only ate two spoonfuls, but there’s less than half left.”

“…Did the soy sauce spoil or something? What weird talk is this all of a sudden?”

“Huh?”

Yuseong’s reaction was nothing like what Jang Dojin expected.

He gave a blank expression as if he’d heard nonsense.

“You were burying your face in the bowl and gobbling it up. Stop talking nonsense and wipe the rice off your face.”

“What did you say?”

Jang Dojin wiped his face with his hand.

Sure enough, rice grains were stuck.

They were rice grains that couldn’t have appeared after just two spoonfuls.

Jang Dojin stared at the bowl, trembling.

“…Could it be that it was so delicious you lost track of time?”

Yuseong had watched Jang Dojin eating absentmindedly with his face in the bowl.

So asking why he had eaten half the bowl without realizing was natural.

“You’re acting ridiculous.”

“Damn it! It’s too delicious!”

Jang Dojin started eating Soy Sauce Egg Rice greedily again.

Yuseong focused on the meal as well.

It didn’t take long before they each finished at least three servings of Soy Sauce Egg Rice.

“Ugh, I’m full.”

“As expected. Nothing feels more rewarding than eating after a hunt.”

Thanks to Yuseong’s thorough teaching, Jang Dojin started cleaning up without being told.

Yuseong packed up his things again.

“Let’s hurry up and leave.”

“Ah, aren’t we cashing in the Masok before we go back?”

“It’d be a shame to turn back after clearing just one layer.”

Yuseong felt his mana recharging.

If he activated Tammijuui’s effect, he could transform Jang Dojin back into the armored soldier.

“All the business on this layer is done.”

“Al-already?”

Yuseong’s progress was fast, but today was especially quick.

He had entered the layer and caught the snake yesterday.

Today, after making a trap, he caught the Golden-Horned Fowl—just over two days.

“We caught the Golden-Horned Fowl here, so that’s enough.”

“Then…”

“Time to sprint to the next layer.”

Yuseong pointed toward the faintly visible Clear Gate in the distance.

Walking there would take over a full day.

“I’ll probably arrive tomorrow.”

“There’s no time for that.”

“Huh?”

“Until you’re hungry again, the goal is to clear Layer Seven.”

Yuseong said something that other explorers might find absurd.

“How do you get there without a car?”

“You’ve got me.”

“Gotta earn your keep.”

Yuseong had no vehicle but had Jang Dojin who was like a vehicle himself.

“It’s transformation time!”

Then Yuseong activated Tammijuui.

“Waaaaah!”

Armor started to sprout on Jang Dojin’s body.