Alton’s battle was impressive.
Jinwoo, who was watching Eric’s broadcast, was amazed.
Alton’s strength was far greater than he had expected.
‘Catching ordinary Black Birds is one thing, but I thought the Alpha Black Bird would be difficult. But it wasn’t at all, was it?’
Time in the Demon Realm and on Earth flows differently.
Alton, after ascending to the position of Demon King and putting in relentless effort, had broken through the wall of talent.
(Anonymous 1): At this level… Hm, certainly.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): Considering how much weaker the Demon Realm has become, he’s definitely strong enough to sit on the Demon King’s throne.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): How does he compare to Jinwoo?
(Anonymous 1): *Are you kidding? Of course Jinwoo would utterly destroy him.
(Liberated Swordsman): Even if a hundred Altons showed up, Jinwoo would win.
(Endless Waiting): For real.
(Anonymous 1): Honestly, he’s somewhere between an A-rank and S-rank Hunter on Earth. It just shows how much the Demon Realm has declined.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): When I was Demon King, I wiped out all the strong demons. Jinwoo did the same not too long ago. My Demon Realm was weaker compared to the others, but even the lowest demons there were about as strong as B-rank Hunters on Earth. Now, even the low-rank demons are at C-rank level.
(Anonymous 1): So, to sum up, Alton, who used to be around the B-rank to A-rank Hunter level, is now strong enough to almost reach S-rank. It’s funny that a Demon King is only at the level of an average Hunter… but in his own Demon Realm, he deserves the throne.
That’s right.
Alton displayed dazzling combat skills.
He used a spell that condensed demonic energy into an energy blast, and even with a small amount of power, the Black Birds fell without resistance.
“He’s holding back his strength.”
Eric muttered quietly.
“That’s right.”
“Why?”
“He’s going to cook with the Black Birds, isn’t he? If their bodies get ruined, that’s no good, so he’s controlling his power just enough to singe the feathers.”
“Very precise.”
Eric smiled slightly, as if pleased.
As a former Hero, he knew well how every bit of precise control built up one’s skills.
Because of his background, Eric couldn’t help but be a little cautious, but even though Alton was a Demon King, Eric was starting to open up to his attitude and talent.
(Anonymous 1): Our continent fought against a Demon King known as the Demon God. You could say he’s about as legendary as the current Constellation Kang Minseok. Eric’s so inflexible that even a weaker guy like Alton is still a Demon King in his eyes, so maybe he’s projecting that Demon God onto him. But looking at his face now, he’s opening up to Alton.
Eric nodded, then shouted to Alton.
“Take this sword!”
“…Pardon?”
“You should become a Magic Swordsman. After all, swordsmen should know magic, and magicians should know how to wield a sword.”
That’s right.
That’s why Anonymous used magic, and Eric knew how to use a sword.
Alton took the sword.
Come to think of it, just because he could use magic, refusing to take up a sword would have been foolish.
He needed to use both to grow stronger.
(Anonymous 1): Am I allowed to teach him?
“No, don’t take away the fun of teaching a beginner like this.”
(Anonymous 1): Argh, damn it.
Alton gripped the sword, as if he was ready to be taught at any moment.
Eric’s sword was so sharp that it wouldn’t be strange if it cut even himself.
“Remember this sensation. Always keep in mind what kind of power you’ll be handling from now on, and that you too can die and be scattered at any moment.”
“Yes, Master!”
Eric didn’t seem to mind being called ‘Master.’
He smiled at Alton, finding him cute.
“Pour your demonic energy into the sword. Just like you gather power and release it, naturally infuse it into the blade.”
“Urgh—!”
He used to just gather power and shoot it as it was, but now he had to infuse it steadily into a physical sword.
It was quite difficult.
Alton kept failing, and meanwhile, the Black Bird attacks continued.
He used his particularly small frame to slowly dodge the monsters’ attacks.
His movements weren’t fast nor slow, but flexible—a sign of talent.
“He’s not without talent.”
(Anonymous 1): Nice movement. Infusing energy into the sword looks tough… but that’s because it’s a totally different method from the demonic energy manipulation he’s used his whole life.
Eric didn’t teach him the secret to infusing energy into the sword.
He’d have to realize it himself for the power to truly double.
If he couldn’t, then that was his limit as far as talent went.
Even if Eric taught him swordsmanship, it wouldn’t help him grow beyond his limit. So, Eric waited. It was a sort of test.
Piiit— piiit—!
Alton dodged every attack and kept trying to infuse demonic energy into the sword.
Time passed.
“Aaagh, it’s been thirty minutes already! I need to eat before going back to the Demon Realm!”
Alton, his mind wandering to Jinwoo’s delicious food, poured all the demonic energy he had gathered into the sword at once.
He didn’t try to hold it in—he just let it flow.
As he let it flow like water, gently shaping it…
Paaat—!!
Demonic energy shot out from the tip of the sword like a ray of light—
Puh-ung—!!
That ray instantly sliced through all the Black Birds.
Only the Alpha Black Bird remained.
Alton retrieved his demonic energy and turned around.
“Master! What should I do next? I’m hungry!”
Alton, who broke through the wall of talent for the sake of Jinwoo’s food, grinned and asked, and Eric chuckled as if exasperated.
“Do whatever you want.”
Alton leapt high.
His sword moved rhythmically, then in an instant, became as flexible as his joints—moving not like iron, but like a spring.
Paaat—!
And just like that, the boss monster, the Alpha Black Bird, fell after just a few moves.
*****
“…There was a lot to learn from that.”
I was amazed.
Not by Alton’s talent, but by his flexible movements.
His concentration was also impressive.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): Maybe Alton will become the greatest Demon King of all.
(Father of Crops): Argh, damn it! The hero might steal a talent meant for farming.
(Anonymous 1): I thought he’d just be a regular farmer, but he’s got a knack for swordsmanship. Now I’m interested.
(Father of Crops): Alton’s not allowed! You see, farming is…
(Anonymous 1): There he goes again.
I saw the Constellations chatting and pressed my hand to my forehead.
Better focus on cooking.
As soon as Alton entered the camper, I praised him.
“Thank you, hyung!”
“You did great. You looked awesome.”
“Haha, I think I’ve lived my whole life just to hear you say I looked awesome. Maybe I was even born for this.”
His flattery made me laugh again.
“Go rest, I’ll cook something up for you soon.”
“Yes, Maruya! Let’s go tend the fields!”
(Father of Crops): Yes, now that’s the right mindset! In the end, it’s all about skills!
(Anonymous 1): Swordsmanship is a skill too, you know? Alton, pick up the sword! Let me teach you!
(Father of Crops): Swords don’t feed you, farming does. Swordsmanship is nothing special, really.
I had reached a level where I could easily ignore the two Constellations’ squabble.
I quickly butchered the Black Birds and detoxified the demonic energy, finishing the prep work.
Because Alton could only stay on Earth for a short time, my hands moved ever faster.
Thanks to Yulian’s sword, which could slice through bone and skin with just a touch, prep was finished in no time.
Now, I transformed the sword back into a pot and slowly added the prepared ingredients to simmer.
Byulyi’s flames wrapped around the pot, swelling and shrinking as if they had a will of their own, perfectly controlling the heat as the ingredients cooked.
The life of a dad with the Spirit King as his daughter—sometimes, it really does feel like I’m the protagonist of a comic.
‘And not just any Spirit King, but the Spirit King of the Four Elements.’
Feeling newly proud of Byulyi, I grinned quietly to myself.
“All right, let’s eat!”
*****
Louis, the Last Chef, had been waiting for this moment.
Jinwoo presented Louis with Andong Jjimdak as tribute, even giving him a handwritten recipe.
Before eating, Louis carefully read over the recipe.
Like a martial arts master poring over a secret technique manual, he memorized it in an instant.
Then he checked the ingredients around him, making sure everything needed for jjimdak was there.
He knew the only way to improve was to try cooking it himself according to the recipe, and then try it again, putting his own twist on it.
‘All the ingredients are here.’
Relieved, he finally picked up his spoon.
Thinking he had to eat before the food got cold, he quickly sipped the hot broth.
Normally, he’d have taken his time savoring it, but maybe because the dish was prepared in a way he’d never seen before, he was excited.
He felt the roof of his mouth burn and grimaced.
“…!”
But that grimace vanished almost instantly.
Louis’s face now bloomed with a smile.
Even with his mouth scalded and the broth piping hot, the flavors shone through.
The temperature didn’t dull the taste—the umami enveloped his tongue, followed by the sweet, nutty fragrance of the vegetables and the rich flavor of the chicken, all harmoniously blending together.
“Whoa…!”
The balance of flavors was perfect.
The oil wasn’t floating on top but was present just enough to double the richness, and the umami kept the nuttiness from getting overwhelming.
He poked a tender potato with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth.
Even though he knew it was hot, he ate it all at once.
Maybe it was because his mouth was already burnt that he didn’t care.
The warm potato was fluffy and filled his mouth.
The savory taste was outstanding.
Just when his throat started to feel clogged, he took another spoonful of broth.
“Kwah—!”
This must be what heaven tastes like.
He poured some broth over a bowl of plain rice, picked up the chicken leg with his hand.
The leg from the Black Bird was even bigger than a turkey’s.
Surprisingly, the huge piece of meat was cooked perfectly, with the broth fully soaked in.
That was thanks to the best cooking tools and Byulyi’s expert flame control.
He stuffed his mouth with meat, chewed, took a sip of broth, and as the clean flavors of the meat built up, he ate a spoonful of rice mixed with the sauce.
The fluffy grains, coated with jjimdak broth, had a pleasant texture.
The taste of soy sauce was excellent as well.
‘…I’ll need to brew more soy sauce. I want to try making this jjimdak again with my own soy sauce.’
Thinking this, Louis kept moving his spoon without pause.
‘It really is delicious. How long has it been since I’ve felt this kind of excitement?’
He donated 3,000 coins—a small fortune—to Jinwoo.
(Last Chef): It’s really delicious, truly delicious. Thank you, Jinwoo, for showing me a new world.
“Thank you. I’m glad it suits your taste.”
Jinwoo looked around the inside of the camper.
Alton, Byulyi, Eric, and the spirits—all had their noses buried in their plates.
It was a delightful sight.
Even the Constellations weren’t chatting, probably too absorbed in eating.
(Anonymous 1): Wow, it really is something else when made from Black Bird.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Truly delicious.
(Water God of Cheongha): Mmm, it’s great. Fantastic!
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): The flavor of the broth soaked into the noodles is perfect.
(Last Chef): Indeed, the texture of the noodles is fun and the taste bursts in your mouth.
And then it happened.
[Congratulations, you have cleared the quest!]
The Constellation’s Path quest to save Hoyeon’s parents.
The reward had arrived.
It was a quest that promised to grant a Constellation’s skill.
Jinwoo, curious about what skill he’d receive, stopped eating and checked his reward.
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