Chapter 27: KoreanFoodKing on Rice’s Palm

Another profession-specific quest?  

Irim was surprised to see the yellow question mark above Ferguson’s head.  

After clearing one profession quest, another came rolling in like a string of dried fish.  

Quests always brought good rewards upon completion.  

There was no reason to refuse.  

Looking at Ferguson’s earnest face, Irim asked, “What’s the favor?”  

“Well… I heard you’re good at cooking.”  

“No, no. I just make edible stuff.”  

Ferguson shook his head.  

“I ate at Rozelan’s restaurant myself. The food was really delicious.”  

“Haha, thank you.”  

“So… could you help my father?”  

“Is it something I can help with?”  

“I’m not sure. But you’re the only person I can ask.”  

Ferguson bit his lower lip nervously before continuing.  

“My father was a strong mercenary in his youth. He had the strength, skill, and courage of a centurion. But not anymore. Now, he’s just a wreck, drowning in alcohol every day.”  

“How did that happen?”  

“He retired from mercenary life ten years ago. He was getting old, so it was about time. There was no problem up to that point. But around this time last year, things went wrong when his sense of taste started dulling.”  

Ferguson took a deep breath.  

“Phew. My father relieved stress through food more than anything else. But as he aged, he started eating saltier and saltier foods, and by last year, he had almost completely lost his sense of taste.”  

Irim’s body flinched.  

It was a story that hit close to home.  

“Unable to taste food anymore, he fell into shock and started relying on alcohol. So, my request is… could you cook something for my father?”  

“Cook?”  

Irim felt troubled. 

Cooking for someone who couldn’t taste was a daunting task.  

“What kind of dish do you want me to make?”  

“I’m sorry, I don’t know. Maybe I’m asking too much of you, Rice. But I’m grasping at straws here.”  

[Profession Quest – Lost Sense of Taste]  

Clear Condition: Make a dish that satisfies Ferguson’s father.  

Reward: Ferguson’s father’s treasure, significant increase in Ferguson’s favor.  

Failure: Significant decrease in favor with Ferguson and his father.  

“Can you… no, can you help my father?”  

[“I’ll give it a try.” / “I don’t know, it seems difficult.”]  

Irim checked the quest window in front of him.  

This is tricky.  

The clear condition was too vague.  

Moreover, the reward was unclear, and there was even a penalty for failure.  

After a moment of hesitation, Irim ultimately chose, “I don’t know, it seems difficult.”  

Disappointment clouded Ferguson’s expectant face.  

“Sigh. I understand. I must have asked for too much. I’m not a child, yet I’m throwing a tantrum. I’m sorry. But, Rice, if you ever change your mind, please come to my forge. I’ll wait, even if it’s late.”  

With that, Ferguson turned away.  

His slumped shoulders and trudging steps looked pitiful, but it was better than promising to help and failing.  

As Irim watched Ferguson go, something fluffy suddenly swayed in front of his eyes.  

It was Mio’s tail.  

The kitten had fallen asleep on Irim’s head, its rear facing his face.  

Its tail swished busily, perhaps caught in a dream.  

Purr, purr.  

The soothing purring sound, which cats only make when content, filled the air.  

Irim almost woke Mio but decided to let it be and entered the armor shop.  

A short but muscular bald merchant greeted him warmly.  

“Welcome! Traveler from the outside, this is Parco’s Armor Shop. Pick something you like!”  

The merchant, introducing himself as Parco, had a cheerful expression.  

“We just put out new items today. Haha!”  

Hearing this, Irim grinned.  

Eater did it.  

Parco led Irim to where the items were displayed.  

Two items sat on the counter.  

Irim checked their information.  

[Eater’s Stylish Spotted Gloves]  

Gloves made from the tough hide of a spotted pig.

The black spotted pattern gives them a cool look.  

Defense +25  

Price: 200,000 Won  

[Eater’s Excellent Kilby Cape]  

A cape made by stitching together Kilby wings. Resistant to fire and ice.  

Defense +30, All Elemental Resistance +5  

Price: 500,000 Won  

Wow, nice.  

As expected of Eater.  

Both items had solid stats.  

The prices weren’t too steep either.  

If another player sold these at the marketplace, they’d likely cost double.  

The item names have a title attached.  

Irim’s eyes widened.  

Could the dishes I taught Rozelan have something similar?  

Curious to check, he considered going back to the restaurant but felt too shy to do so.  

Instead, he decided to buy both displayed items.  

“I’ll take both.”  

“Oh, excellent choice, sir!”  

Parco handed over the items.  

Irim paid and immediately equipped his new gear.  

“Wow, that gear looks sharp! Haha!”  

Parco clapped, hyping Irim up.  

At that moment, a system message Irim hadn’t seen before appeared.  

[Achievement Unlocked!]  

Achievement: Understanding of Attributes  

Condition: Interact with an issue related to attribute stats  

Reward: Acquisition of attribute-related stats  

What’s this?  

Irim tilted his head and opened his status window.  

A new stat had been added: “Attributes: Fire 5, Water 5, Wind 5, Earth 5.”  

[Congratulations. You have acquired attribute stats. Attribute stats indicate Rice’s affinity and resistance to each element. For example, with a Fire attribute of 5, additional damage is dealt when hunting Wind-attribute monsters, which are weak to Fire.]  

“Hmm, I see.”  

[Conversely, during defense, all attribute stats are treated as resistance values. This means you won’t take extra damage from a monster’s attack based on its attribute.]  

In simple terms, if Irim had the Fire attribute, he wouldn’t take extra damage from a Water-attribute monster’s attack.  

However, if a Wind-attribute monster, weak to Fire, attacked him, his attribute resistance would reduce the damage taken.  

Experienced gamers would find this easy to grasp.  

“So… this means…”  

Irim tried hard to understand the attribute stat explanation but gave up.  

As a first-time gamer, he only half-understood it.  

Still, he was sure it was something good.  

That’s good enough.  

Comforting himself, Irim checked his reflection in the shop’s full-length mirror.  

Before, his appearance had been a bit plain, but with the gloves and cape, he looked quite impressive.  

Satisfied, Irim left the armor shop and glanced at the darkening sky.  

What now? 

Should I head to another village?  

As he pondered, he checked his playtime and realized he’d been in the game too long.  

I’ll rest for today.  

Irim logged out of Real.  

***  

Melina’s head was throbbing.  

“Wow, Melina! Meeting you here again? This feels like fate or something, haha.”  

“What, KoreanFoodKing?”  

Having arrived in Tirko Village, Melina headed straight to the restaurant.  

She was curious about the food served in this village.  

Rumor had it they only offered dry bread and bland soup.  

She wanted to see if that was true.  

But as she stepped into the restaurant, she ran into KoreanFoodKing.  

Shamelessly, he joined her table, flashing a sly grin.  

“Is it okay if I sit here?”  

“You’re supposed to ask before sitting.”  

Melina was about to snap back when Rozelan approached.  

“Are you two ready to order?”  

KoreanFoodKing nodded confidently.  

“Yes. Bread and soup, please.”  

He ordered as if it were the most natural thing.  

Rozelan shrugged.  

“Sorry, we don’t serve those anymore.”  

“What? Then what do you have?”  

As if waiting for the question, Rozelan answered with a triumphant smile.  

“We have grilled pork belly, pork bulgogi, and a pork bulgogi sandwich. What would you like?”  

KoreanFoodKing’s jaw dropped at the unexpected menu.  

The shock of going from dry bread and bland soup to an upgraded menu froze his brain.  

As he stammered, Melina jumped in.  

“I’ll take all three!”  

Snapping out of it, KoreanFoodKing asked in surprise, “Melina, can you eat all that by yourself?”  

“This isn’t reality, you know? My satiety’s at rock bottom, so it’s fine.”  

“Oh, right. I’ll take all three too.”  

“Order received.”  

As Rozelan headed to the kitchen, KoreanFoodKing got excited.  

“I knew something was up when I smelled the food coming in. Melina, we hit the jackpot. Don’t you think we’re, like, lucky together or something?”  

Melina didn’t appreciate KoreanFoodKing constantly lumping them together with “we.”  

Ignoring him, she stared at the kitchen.  

The sizzling sound of cooking meat and its savory aroma wafted out.  

This is the real deal. 

Hurry up and come out.  

Melina swallowed hard, her mouth watering.  

KoreanFoodKing nodded, watching her.  

“Exactly. I’m drooling too. Smell that. It’s already on a different level from Rice’s food.”  

“Why are you bringing up Rice now?”  

“Melina, I’m telling you, once you try this food, you’ll see Rice’s cooking was child’s play. I can tell just from the smell.”  

“Do you have some kind of grudge against Rice?”  

“Come on, don’t make it sound like that. I don’t dislike him. I’m just stating facts. This game lacks good food, so his cooking got overhyped.”  

Melina was about to fire back when—  

“Your food is here. Enjoy!”  

Rozelan set down the ordered dishes and left.  

“Wow, incredible. Let’s see.”  

Dazzled by the sight of dishes new to this world, KoreanFoodKing didn’t even check their names, eagerly digging in with his fork.  

Chomp, chomp. 

“Wow, this pork belly is insane. The juices just burst! This must only be possible in the game. How could you get pork belly like this in reality, right? The bulgogi’s no joke either.”

“Barely any ingredients, but the seasoning’s perfect. Gulp! Man, the sandwich is crazy. Rice’s food was all about the hype. This is on another level. Melina? Why aren’t you eating?”  

KoreanFoodKing, who had been raving alone, noticed Melina staring blankly at the food on the table.  

With a trembling voice, she said, “KoreanFoodKing, check the names of these dishes properly.”  

“What’s with the names…”  

[Rice’s Grilled Pork Belly]  

[Rice’s Mouthwatering Pork Bulgogi]  

[Rice’s Mouthwatering Pork Bulgogi Sandwich]  

“Huh?!”  

Finally noticing the names, KoreanFoodKing’s jaw dropped.  

Bits of food he’d been chewing spilled out.  

“Ugh, I’ll eat over there.”  

Disgusted, Melina took her food and moved to another table.  

But KoreanFoodKing, oblivious, just blinked in shock.  

“What… what is this…”  

The food he’d been praising while bashing Rice’s cooking—  

It was Rice’s cooking all along.