Chapter 44 : Golden Rosti and the Taste of Euphoria

The rosti was complete.

Yuseong placed the finished rosti on the cutting board.

“Swiss-style Potato Pancake.”

But what Yuseong had made far surpassed the limits of a simple potato pancake.

Thinly shredded potatoes were mixed with butter and shaped, so that air pockets remained intact as it cooked.

On top rested a neatly placed soft-boiled golden egg fry.

Crispy pieces of bacon and deliciously melted mozzarella cheese adorned the dish.

Yuseong sliced the rosti with his knife.

Crunch.

The sound alone made one’s mouth water.

The golden yolk of the egg in the center flowed out smoothly.

It was a luxurious visual, like molten gold flowing down.

Yuseong cut the rosti into six pieces and placed them evenly on three plates.

“Let’s eat.”

Chairman Park Gyeongjae accepted the plate with deep appreciation.

“Truly… aside from the bacon, did you prepare all the ingredients yourself?”

“Not once frozen. Everything is fresh—kimja, eggs, cheese, and butter.”

“I’ll try it first.”

Chairman Park carefully took his knife and cut a piece of rosti.

“Wrap the piece in a bit of cheese and lightly dip it in the yolk.”

He obediently followed Yuseong’s instructions.

He wrapped the appropriately cut piece of rosti in cheese and didn’t forget the bacon.

Finally, he dipped it in the flowing golden yolk and put it in his mouth.

Crunch.

It was a complex texture that was hard to believe came from a potato pancake.

The exterior was golden and crispy, while the inside was fluffy.

Most surprising was the absence of the typical sticky chewiness unique to potatoes.

The perfectly cooked potatoes gave a crisp ‘snap!’ when bitten.

Following that came the savory aroma of butter filling the throat.

Bacon and peppery seasoning followed closely behind.

The golden egg yolk and savory cheese erupted like a flavor explosion, sweeping through the mouth.

“Taste…”

Chairman Park let out an unconscious sigh of admiration.

Chairman Lee Udo, standing beside him, wore an expression of “Indeed,” but it wasn’t smug.

“…What exactly are you?”

That was how extraordinary the rosti was.

It brought back memories of dishes from when renowned chefs were still active.

It was impossible that this dish was made by young Yuseong, born after the Great Cataclysm.

Instead of answering, Yuseong pointed at Chairman Park’s hand.

“Would you like some alcohol?”

“What? Hah…!”

Chairman Park was startled.

He found a whiskey glass in his hand before he knew it.

It seemed he had unconsciously picked it up after tasting the rosti.

“How is it? Do you think it goes well with the whiskey?”

“Hmm, I’ll have to try it together before deciding.”

At those words, a flush returned to Lee Udo’s face.

Until now, Chairman Park had tasted many dishes during their attempts.

But after the first bite, he’d always put down his fork, saying it wouldn’t match.

This was the first time he said he wanted to try it with alcohol.

Chairman Park pulled out a glass bottle, different from the one used to test Yuseong earlier.

As expected, this 102-year-old whiskey was steeped in time itself, with a deep amber hue close to brown.

He opened the bottle cap.

“Amazing.”

Yuseong was impressed.

The whiskey aroma that had filled the room since their arrival intensified the moment the bottle opened.

Pouring carefully, Chairman Park filled a tulip-shaped glass with whiskey.

A refined scent wafted out.

Just as he was about to take a sip, Yuseong stopped him.

“Wait.”

He fetched a glass of plain water.

“Try adding some water.”

“…Hmm.”

Chairman Park’s face showed reluctance.

“Are you worried it’ll ruin the whiskey’s taste?”

“I usually enjoy a drop or two of warm water with a dropper, but is it really okay to add this much?”

There are many ways to drink whiskey.

Some mix it with tonic water or ginger ale for cocktails, but precious whiskey is rarely consumed that way.

The most common ways are straight or on the rocks, poured over large chunks of ice.

The method Chairman Park mentioned enhances the whiskey’s aroma by adding hot water drop by drop.

Yuseong nodded.

“When enjoying with food, there’s a specific way to drink it.”

Both the straight method and dropper method consider only the whiskey itself, not pairing with food.

When eating with dishes, another way suits better.

“This whiskey is a Single Cask, nearly 50 degrees alcohol by volume even without mixing water.

Its high proof makes it hard to pair with any side dishes.

Both on the rocks and straight tend to be too strong.”

“So, that’s why…”

Chairman Park realized something from Yuseong’s explanation.

He had searched for a perfect side dish himself, but nothing he’d eaten so far had satisfied him.

The reason might not be in the side dishes, but in this precious whiskey.

“If you mix it with room temperature water in a 1:1 ratio—neither warm nor cold—”

Yuseong added water to the whiskey.

“The aroma is actually amplified, and the alcohol content lowers, making it better to enjoy with food.”

Hesitant but curious, Chairman Park raised the whiskey glass and took a sip.

His eyes widened in surprise.

“Really…”

Drinking whiskey with room temperature water like this is originally a tasting method.

It means the whiskey’s aroma is impeccable.

Chairman Park paused from eating and closed his eyes for a moment before taking out two more glasses.

“Yes, this is undeniable.”

He poured whiskey into the two glasses and added water just as before.

“Ba-, Chairman Park…!”

Lee Udo exclaimed in surprise.

Chairman Park had never shown this behavior before.

“From the first bite, I knew the side dish you made was incredible.”

He said this as he handed a glass to Yuseong.

“Until now, I just thought it was a delicious dish or maybe a good side dish.”

He handed a glass to Lee Udo as well.

“But the moment you added water to the whiskey, I was sure. It suits it perfectly.”

Raising the glasses lightly, as if toasting,

“This is your victory. What we’re drinking now is… well, a service.”

Clink.

The three crystal glasses struck each other, producing a clear, pure sound.

Yuseong smiled.

He had received a bottle of priceless whiskey beyond measure.

And right now, he could savor the taste of that whiskey.

He took a sip of the amber-colored liquid.

Yuseong closed his eyes gently.

“Ah.”

It felt like a massive wave of aroma had crashed over him.

It was a shock that stirred his consciousness.

He had eaten many things up to now.

If he added up everything he had eaten before returning, he could confidently say he had eaten more than almost anyone in the world.

He had also drunk plenty of alcohol.

He had even obtained and drunk liquors produced before the Great Cataclysm, and made his own using Abyss ingredients.

But even considering all of that, the impact of this single sip of whiskey was incomparable.

An insurmountable wall.

Before the Great Cataclysm, when food culture blossomed.

The essence of distilled liquor from that era was this.

Yuseong felt that towering wall, one he dared not cross.

An overwhelming wall studded with shining flowers.

Built by masters of the past.

“Yuseong…?”

Lee Udo’s concerned voice pulled Yuseong back from his brief reverie.

“Why all of a sudden?”

“I can’t believe it. That such liquor even exists…”

It was genuine amazement.

That such whiskey existed and that he could taste it.

[You have experienced Taste Euphoria.]

[You have opened a new horizon of flavors never before experienced.]

A completely new experience.

Yuseong’s ability had evolved.

[The effects of Tammijuui have advanced.]

[A special blessing has been granted.]

When having an extraordinary experience.

When feeling an immeasurable joy.

Or when facing a life-threatening crisis.

The human body secretes hormones.

Endorphins, dopamine, serotonin…

Yuseong was no different.

The euphoria of tasting rare whiskey, combined with the surging magic, made his brain feel electrified.

[Taste Euphoria.]

[You are temporarily entering a Transcendental State.]

Magic surged throughout Yuseong’s entire body.

It manifested like lightning, flashing and sparking.

His hair stood on end, and radiant light shone in his eyes.

“Y-Yuseong!”

“What’s wrong?!”

Lee Udo and Chairman Park were stunned by the sudden change.

Yuseong was equally surprised by the abnormal state.

His entire body was brimming with power.

It was definitely a new ability of Tammijuui.

“I don’t know either.”

But there were more important matters now.

Yuseong raised the glass in his hand and took another sip.

“Mm… let’s drink.”

He didn’t know exactly what the Transcendental State was.

He decided to think about it after finishing the rosti and whiskey.

***

The new ability of Tammijuui.

Taste Euphoria.

It didn’t last very long.

Within barely ten seconds, the magic that had coursed through Yuseong’s body faded away.

And just with that, fatigue began to overwhelm him.

Had he not eaten more rosti and drunk more whiskey, he might have collapsed from magic exhaustion.

“But surely, that power was…”

At least during those ten seconds, his entire body had been filled with strength.

Considering it now, even if three people like Guchilseong attacked him at once, he might be able to handle it while in the Transcendental State.

“It’s not an ability I can use at will.”

The activation condition for the Transcendental State was clear.

A taste so amazing and revolutionary that it opens a new horizon of flavor.

One must feel such euphoria from eating such food.

The effect of Tammijuui is basically the same — you get rewarded in proportion to how delicious the food is.

Since returning, Yuseong had tried many foods, but none matched the greatness of this whiskey.

Opportunities to taste food this extraordinary wouldn’t come easily.

“I’ll have to try even more delicious things.”

But the world was vast, and there were surely many exquisite ingredients.

He especially looked forward to the special Abyss beasts he hadn’t yet eaten.

Especially the Serpent he was about to hunt.

The Serpent was said to be a sashimi even better than the finest tuna.

“Come on, Yuseong. Aren’t you going to sleep?”

At that moment, Chairman Park, sitting beside him, asked in a slightly tipsy tone.

Yuseong, Lee Udo, and Chairman Park had opened a drinking session by the fireplace.

Yuseong was in high spirits and made various side dishes, and Chairman Park brought out other liquors besides whiskey.

Even the wealthy with private food storage seldom got drunk these days.

Suddenly drinking so much, the two elderly men, both over seventy, quickly became intoxicated.

“Let’s go inside and sleep. If you sleep here, you’ll turn blue.”

“Hey, when I was young, I was Special Forces… this is nothing… mmm…”

Already drunk, Lee Udo returned to his home.

But Chairman Park stayed until the end, eventually lying down by the fireplace to sleep.

Yuseong smiled and stood up.

“Then, let’s get some rest.”

“Yuseong, why don’t you work under me?”

“What are you saying all of a sudden?”

“Seeing you, I sense a fighter’s spirit, just like when I was young.”

Chairman Park made an offer similar to one Lee Udo had once made.

And as before, their conversation had a fixed outcome.

“I plan to continue as an explorer.”

“Don’t be like that… hey, where are you going?”

“I’m going to check the kitchen for a moment.”

“There’ll be people there soon. Eh… sleepy…”

Chairman Park trailed off and fell asleep.

Would someone else be coming to the kitchen?

Yuseong smiled faintly and turned.

“Phew, did I drink a little too much?”

He wiped his mouth.

Compared to the old men, his tolerance was much stronger, but it had been a long time since he’d drunk.

A warm flush spread through his body.

Despite that, Yuseong didn’t want to waste this night.

After all, he had just acquired the best ingredients.

In his hand was a crystal bottle.

It was the bottle of whiskey Chairman Park had given him.

Click.

Yuseong turned on the kitchen lights.

The Phoebus Hotel’s top floor was a space for the board of directors.

Of course, it had a kitchen and food storage equipped with the highest quality equipment.

Following the rosti, Yuseong made various side dishes.

All were made only from ingredients brought from the hotel’s food storage.

While cooking, Yuseong came up with several ideas.

“This will help when we hunt the Serpent.”

The Explorers’ Guild was preparing to hunt the Serpent as Yuseong had directed.

But even with preparation, the Serpent wasn’t easy prey.

That’s why, despite the excavation of up to the 18th floor, it still survived comfortably on the 10th floor.

“If only I had this whiskey, its cold aura…”

The most dangerous aspect of the Serpent was the extreme cold aura surrounding its body.

Even if Yuseong’s resistance was excellent, being hit by the cold breath could be dangerous.

Yuseong found a solution in whiskey.

Since it was impossible to leisurely savor whiskey during battle, he needed a convenient way to consume it.

Using the know-how he had acquired so far, he thought he could create a dish that would raise cold resistance.

“Whiskey bonbon.”

A simple yet luxurious snack with whiskey injected inside chocolate.

The idea of putting 102-year-old premium whiskey inside chocolate was brilliant, yet Yuseong was drawn to Angie’s idea.

Ingredients were abundant.

High-quality chocolate overflowed in the food storage.

Yuseong was about to melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

Boom.

Thunder rumbled.

It seemed to be raining outside.

And Yuseong’s sensitive nose detected a scent.

“The smell of rain.”

It might have been natural to smell rain since it was raining outside.

But this scent wasn’t coming from the outside air.

Nearby, someone was—

Kuurung, kuurum.

Thunder sounded again.

Yuseong met the gaze of the suddenly appeared person.

At the kitchen door stood a woman.

Stunningly beautiful, but with an almost expressionless, cold impression.

Her long hair was slightly damp from the rain.

She froze in place as if about to enter the kitchen, her mouth slightly open, clearly startled by Yuseong’s presence.

Yuseong was surprised too.

Not because someone had appeared—Chairman Park had muttered something about this—but because the woman was someone he knew.

He had never imagined such a person would appear here.

“Sorigum…”

Sorigum Han Seoryeon.

Before Yuseong’s return, she had been the pinnacle of explorers who fought the Great Evil Dragon.

She stood there with a mature face, composed but cool.