Chapter 7 : The Warehouse of Forgotten Flavors

Lee Woo Do personally escorted Yuseong and Shin Jia.

Only after going through a rigorous security procedure once again did they finally arrive at the ‘warehouse.’

Shin Jia murmured in awe.

“This is less of a warehouse and more like an armory.”

“At least the security level is on par with an armory.”

Lee Woo Do smiled and pressed his palm against the recognition panel.

Once his fingerprint was verified, the warehouse entrance began to unlock.

—Security system disarming.

—Welcome, President.

Ts-ts-ts-ts.

As soon as the door opened, a cold

Jumper that had been hanging was worn

Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk.

Halogen lamps lit up sequentially, revealing the interior of the warehouse.

Shin Jia muttered with a pale face.

“Is this… really a food storage warehouse?”

It was understandable why she was so stunned.

There was no visible food inside the warehouse.

Like an armory, metal boxes were stacked tightly everywhere.

Yuseong explained the nature of those metal boxes.

“These are containers for freezing and vacuum sealing. The food ingredients are inside. To maintain freshness for decades, there’s no other way.”

The President wore an impressed expression.

“You know your stuff. It’s expensive, but a convenient device. Press one button, and the thawing and freezing happen automatically.”

“The power consumption must be enormous.”

“It’s enough to run several buildings.”

They had been maintaining a warehouse of this scale for decades.

Truly an extravagantly strict hobby.

“The far left section is for seasonings. Seasonings are classified as ‘food ingredients.’ Some have become extinct, while others haven’t. Sugar, salt, pepper are restocked regularly. But most aromatic herbs like chili, leaves, coriander have mostly disappeared. That remaining amount over there is all that’s left.”

“Are there still gatherers left?”

“Cultivation is impossible, so they have to gather. But the trade stopped five years ago. Few people remain who buy them.”

“So it’s all from previously collected stock.”

“Still, seasonings are abundant.”

Seasonings naturally last long, and a large amount was left over from the Great Cataclysm.

Thus, the quantity was overwhelmingly large.

Also, those who had taken food ingredients from humanity might have considered seasonings as part of the food ingredients.

Some seasonings could still be obtained after the Great Cataclysm.

Salt could be collected from seawater, and sugar was possible to gather thanks to a few surviving raw plants.

As for pepper, cinnamon, and the like—

Those meant to provide aroma rather than fill the stomach survived.

However, ‘cultivation’ of edible plants was forbidden, so large-scale farming was impossible.

Still, for quite a long time, gatherers had been active collecting those ingredients.

“The other three sections are important. One for staples like rice, wheat, noodles; one for fresh produce like vegetables and fruits; and finally one for meat and seafood.”

While Shin Jia was simply amazed by the size of the warehouse, Yuseong trembled with excitement.

“There’s way more than before.”

Before his return, meaning ten years from now at this point, he had entered this food warehouse.

At that time, there was much less stock remaining.

Perhaps Lee Woo Do himself and his family had consumed a lot, or sold unnecessary ingredients to other influential figures.

“This is all because of my ability…”

In Yuseong’s eyes, each of those boxes looked like a treasure chest.

“Feel free to take out whatever ingredients you want and use them. It’s been a long time since I last ate proper food.”

“You really have a big heart.”

“A cook who withholds ingredients isn’t worthy of the title.”

Lee Woo Do smiled indulgently at Yuseong, who was greedily inspecting the warehouse.

“Once you select the ingredients, try using them freely in the kitchen we passed earlier.”

“The menu?”

“Hm?”

“What would you like to eat today?”

At Yuseong’s brief question, the President paused for a moment to think.

But from the moment he heard the name ‘Rakshik,’ something had already come to mind.

“Spicy braised chicken.”

Pork was often greasy, and beef sometimes too heavy.

But chicken was always good to eat.

Back when he had finished a tough job and visited Rakshik alone, his sworn brother would serve spicy braised chicken without even being asked.

A bowl of broth-filled spicy braised chicken enjoyed with a shot of soju.

An unforgettable nostalgic scent from those days.

Just recalling that made a smile spread across Lee Woo Do’s lips.

“You can look forward to it.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Lee Woo Do smiled and left the warehouse.

Only Yuseong and Shin Jia remained in the vast warehouse.

“Now the part-time job starts. Bring me whatever I call out.”

“Yes! If it’s just for one person, it won’t be much.”

“What do you mean?”

Yuseong wore a face that said she was talking nonsense.

“Hm?”

“You have to take everything you can.”

Yuseong intended to get the most out of today.

“Three chickens, one kilogram pork loin, five kilograms rice, pepper, chili powder, salt, sugar, nineteen potatoes, green onions, garlic, canola oil, sesame oil—everything! Nicely! … What madness is this!”

Yuseong suddenly shouted a curse, startling Shin Jia.

“There are snacks over there! Grab those too!”

***

While the President and Yuseong’s party were lost in thoughts of spicy braised chicken,

the Special Strategic Planning Office was busy with today’s tasks.

They handled all kinds of business, from external affairs directly under the President to secretive operations.

Handling Gwak Cheongrae, an explorer sponsored by Cheonghwa and known by the code name Soksara, was also entrusted to the Special Strategic Planning Office.

From drugs to sexual violence, it was crucial to deal with him before the police could capture him.

The officers assigned to handle the case were already dispatched to Gwak Cheongrae’s residence.

Assistant Park disarmed the safety mechanisms on the gas-type tranquilizer rifle.

Two security guards accompanied him.

—Standby.

Assistant Park issued a silent command.

The target, Gwak Cheongrae, had been in the Abyss overnight and returned home this morning.

He was a promising figure about to be promoted to rank four, but unless someone was superhuman, they were powerless against modern weapons.

Subduing a sleeping target was an easy task.

Before entering, Assistant Park activated his unique Gift.

Tchut.

An invisible aura emanated from Assistant Park.

Like a bat detecting terrain via ultrasound, he used the Detection System Gift to analyze the situation inside the house.

This was the Gift that had allowed him to enter the Special Strategic Planning Office.

—Target is on the bed in the bedroom. Appears to be asleep. Initiating entry.

They confirmed that Gwak Cheongrae was indeed asleep.

The agents unlocked the window and the three entered the house.

Up until then, no noise was made.

It was time to wrap him in a tranquilizer blanket, put him to sleep, take him to some location, kill him, and burn the body.

Assistant Park had three mistakes.

First, Gwak Cheongrae had installed laser sensors inside the house to monitor intruders due to his past experiences.

Second, Gwak Cheongrae was not sleeping but drugged and intoxicated.

And third, beneath his pillow was an automatic handgun he had obtained from a gang that saved him.

The moment the agents entered Gwak Cheongrae’s bedroom,

the handgun fired.

Tat-tat-tat-tat-tang.

Merciless burst fire.

Two security guards were instantly turned into pincushions.

They tried firing tranquilizer darts back, but none hit Gwak Cheongrae’s body.

“You damn bastards dare to—!”

Gwak Cheongrae was notorious for his expert crossbow marksmanship using his Gift.

Though intoxicated, his eyes glazed and drool dribbled from his mouth, his shots were precise.

Assistant Park dodged three bullets skillfully, quickly hiding and pulling out his phone.

The moment the entry failed was over.

He needed to inform the Special Strategic Planning Office about this.

But Gwak Cheongrae didn’t leave it at that.

“Rat bastard!”

He jumped up with incredible agility and fired wildly at Assistant Park.

Tat-tat-tang.

His shots precisely hit the phone and pierced Assistant Park’s abdomen.

Assistant Park collapsed, letting out a sharp scream.

“Re… re… report…”

A hopeless defeat.

Even in this situation, his thoughts were more about getting severely scolded by the Chief Director than the threat to his life.

Seeing Assistant Park fall, Gwak Cheongrae scanned around for any more attackers.

His bleached blond hair was matted and tangled, pupils abnormally dilated from the drugs.

Assistant Park sensed that Gwak Cheongrae’s condition was abnormal.

“Lee Woo Do—does that bald bastard think he can threaten me? Damn it!”

Recognizing Assistant Park’s identity, Gwak Cheongrae went berserk.

Fear and rage twisted his face.

He grabbed the dark skin of the bleeding Assistant Park.

“You bastard! You think I’ll stay still? Now it’s your turn.”

“Crazy bastard…”

Gwak Cheongrae threw Assistant Park against the wall.

Bang!

The intense pain shook Assistant Park’s mind.

Gwak Cheongrae hastily gathered his ammo and Chakye.

“Let’s see who dies first!”

Half-mad, he ran out of the house.

Drugged, sexually violent, and the moment that fact leaked out—

Gwak Cheongrae had thought that such a day might come.

Finally, Lee Woo Do’s men had come to kill him.

Assistant Park’s consciousness faded due to excessive bleeding.

“I have to… report…”

But because of the bleeding and concussion, his mind slipped away.

In the end, Assistant Park lost consciousness.

Outside, the rumble of a car starting echoed.

***

—Ding! There are 15 minutes left until the rice cooker finishes making delicious rice.

“What are you doing right now?”

“Hm? I’m cooking rice.”

“Then why are you staring at the rice cooker’s lid?”

Since pressing the cooking button, Shin Jia had been staring at it as if appreciating some artwork.

Yuseong was baffled.

Noticing something was off, Shin Jia explained in a timid voice.

“I’m just worried it might burn…”

What kind of rice cooker cooks with burning pine needles? You can’t tell by watching it.

“Just help me with the potatoes here.”

“Okay.”

“Do you really peel it with your fingernails? Here, use this.”

Yuseong handed her a Gamja Kal and sighed deeply.

He hadn’t expected it, but Shin Jia had absolutely no basic knowledge about cooking.

“You’re definitely not cut out for part-time work.”

“What do you mean! Moving all these was hard enough.”

Shin Jia lamented, feeling unfair.

Around them were cooling boxes filled with various ingredients.

There was too much to make spicy braised chicken.

The ingredients Yuseong had separately prepared were piled nearby.

“Yeah, yeah. After peeling the potatoes, peel the garlic skin too.”

“Okay.”

Without complaint, Shin Jia focused again on peeling potatoes.

Yuseong actually didn’t expect much from her.

“Cooking is my specialty anyway.”

His body still remembered it.

Cooking he learned from his grandfather and the practical cooking sense acquired surviving in the Abyss.

The base ingredients were ready.

Now it was time to process the chicken.

Yuseong took out a thawed chicken from the cooling box.

“Oh, a native chicken.”

Usually, young chickens were used for spicy braised chicken, but what was in the box was a native chicken, larger in size.

Less tender than young chickens but with firmer meat and thicker skin, giving it better flavor.

First, he cut off the fat bulging from the rear and removed the fat and organs inside the abdomen to eliminate odors.

Then came the disassembly.

Yuseong plunged the tip of his knife into the chicken’s thigh.

Creak.

His hands began moving skillfully.

“My body remembers.”

He couldn’t even recall how long it had been since he last processed a chicken.

But he had handled hundreds of bird-type monsters in the Abyss.

Compared to bird monsters of the Abyss, even a native chicken was small and tender like a young chicken.

Crack, slice.

After a few strokes, the chicken was quickly cut into bite-sized pieces.

The skin was the source of flavor, so he left it intact.

However, he neatly trimmed unnecessary chunks of fat between the fascia.

He washed the meat clean under running water and put it into a steel bowl.

Adding bay leaves to remove odors and pouring a modest amount of milk.

Now, it just needed to rest a bit.

He put water in a pot and set it on the stove while preparing the seasoning sauce.

Soy sauce, minced garlic, chili powder, gochujang, sugar.

This was more than enough.

The deep flavor would come from the chicken itself.

“All right, now just simmer it. Meanwhile, shall we make ours?”

“Ours?”

“Your real job isn’t this.”

Yuseong opened the rice cooker lid.

The white rice was perfectly cooked—fluffy and separate grains.

It gave off a nutty and slightly sweet aroma.

“Wow, smells good.”

“Wait just a bit.”

Yuseong took out unseasoned seaweed.

He lit the gas stove and lightly toasted a sheet of seaweed, then cut it into four squares.

On a piece of seaweed, he placed a spoonful of freshly cooked rice and sprinkled some of the spicy seasoning he had just made.

Then he handed it to Shin Jia.

“Try it.”

“…It definitely looks delicious.”

“Of course it does.”

“Will I grow wings again?”

What Shin Jia feared was exactly that.

Growing wings was fascinating but also somewhat frightening.

“I’m about to find out.”

Yuseong’s confident attitude made Shin Jia resign herself and eat it.

Crunch.

The toasted seaweed crumbled crisply, releasing a fragrant scent.

The unique ocean aroma of seaweed mixed with the smoky scent from roasting.

Soon, the glossy rice grains melted in her mouth.

Between the subtle sweetness of the rice, the soy sauce and chili powder seasoning stung the tongue like a sharp poke.

“Mm, hmm!”

Because the rice was warm, Shin Jia couldn’t give a proper review.

But her happy expression showed clearly how tasty it was.

At that moment, as if on the verge of growing wings,

a warm energy spread through Shin Jia’s body.

“Huh?”

But the energy disappeared in an instant.

As if sucked away somewhere.

Then Yuseong smiled.

[You have been moved by the taste.]

[An impressive flavor!]

[Stamina slightly increased.]

If the conditions were met, Yuseong could cast a Taste Blessing on someone through food.

He guessed that how moved the target was and whether they had magical abilities mattered most.

Not only could he grant blessings, but he could also strengthen his own abilities.

“See! Have another. It’s still an experiment.”

Both Yuseong and Shin Jia were fired up with excitement.