Today’s menu consisted of braised kimchi with pork and kimchi stew.
While braised kimchi and kimchi stew are similar, the stew involves cutting the ingredients into bite-sized pieces or smaller, making it a dish that truly shines when mixed with rice.
My method was to start it like braised kimchi and let it simmer until it transformed into a thick stew. First, we would enjoy it as braised kimchi, and then have the stew as a sort of “dessert.”
I first trimmed the pork belly from the Black Pig and detoxified it to remove the demonic energy. I placed well-ripened kimchi and the Black Pig belly in a pot and added water. According to what I heard from Eric, the Black Pig’s characteristic meaty aroma and umami were overwhelming. In other words, it was slightly saltier than regular pork belly.
I needed an herb that would enhance the addictive umami while mellowing out the saltiness.
[The Normal-grade Constellation, Father of Crops, has sponsored a buff-type food ingredient item!]
[C-grade Item: Green Herb]
—Description: An herb personally created by the Normal-grade Constellation, Father of Crops, through selective breeding.
—Effect: Enhances the addictive nature of umami while mellowing out saltiness.
I ground it into a powder like parsley and sprinkled it into the water to dissolve. Then, I added a mixture of red pepper powder made from Golden Peppers and Fire Herbs in a seven-to-three ratio, followed by sugar and minced garlic.
There was no need to make a separate broth. The Black Pig belly was so flavorful that boiling it for a long time naturally turned the water into a rich broth. I just had to cover the pot and let it simmer thoroughly.
When I finished cooking and looked around, the surroundings were very quiet. The Constellations, the summons, Byeol-i, and even the spirits were all absorbed in the video being broadcast by Anonymous.
Eric was kindly explaining the situation to Alton, who hadn’t seen the video yesterday. Eric was focusing on it as if he were watching a hero movie.
“Ho… Brother, you have walked a path that was far from smooth.”
“Anonymous, that fellow’s chatting is quite funny.”
“Ho, the Demon Realm is a fascinating place.”
“That is my hometown! I am currently the Demon King there!”
“…You become the Demon King? You look rather insignificant.”
Baek Cheon, who was watching the early story of the Demon Realm, looked back and forth between the Alton in the video and the Alton sitting next to him.
“You’ve become quite strong. How did you do it?”
“It will show up if you keep watching!”
“Daddy must have had a hard time!”
The video moved past the Demon Realm story and into the Murim arc.
“The original Geomyeon, before he became Jinwoo, is also quite a charming fellow.”
(The Warrior Who Buys Death) : It feels strange to hear such words from the person I once killed.
“Isn’t that just a story from another world anyway? You and I in this world can become friends. Just as I became friends with Jinwoo, and with the Young Leaders of the Murim Alliance and the Wicked God Cult.”
Through Baek Cheon’s words, I could tell that the complete unification of Murim had been successful. The corners of my mouth curled up in satisfaction.
“My Lord, I thought you had become stronger, but to think such things happened…”
As Baek Cheon and I killed the Demon Sovereign on screen, Eric covered Byeol-i’s eyes and spoke. Baek Cheon and Alton were also covering the spirits’ eyes with both hands. When the edited video finally came to an end…
“Shall we eat now?”
I asked with a smile as I reheated the braised kimchi. My summons seemed to have gained a great deal of respect for me. I suppose the achievements I had made when they weren’t watching looked pretty cool.
‘…Or not.’
With that idle thought, I sent a free portion of food to Anonymous. Knowing how difficult it was to record and edit all those videos, I gave him a bit more meat. After sending offerings to the other Constellations as well, we sat down at the table.
“Ah, before we eat—Constellations, after you eat some of the braised kimchi, you can cut the ingredients finely and boil it a bit more to eat it as a stew. Give it a try later.”
(Anonymous 1) : Alright, you worked hard, so I’ll make sure to enjoy it.
(God of Rain and Sunlight) : I want to ask why you’re acting so proud over something like editing… but since I got to take a proper trip down memory lane thanks to you, stand tall today!
(Anonymous 1) : Heh, thanks.
(God of Cheongha’s Waters) : This is heartwarming. Descendant, it might be a bit late to say this, but you’ve worked hard all this time. The road ahead will still be difficult, but speak up if it gets tough. We will help you.
(Endless Waiting) : Jinwoo, there is no one else who walks the path of a Constellation as well as you do.
(Liberated Swordsman) : I agree.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm) : Right. Tell us whenever it gets hard. We’ll help as much as possible.
(The Last Cook) : Hehe… Thanks for the new recipe, Jinwoo! I shall help as well!
(The Last Blacksmith) : I can make you as many weapons as you need.
(Father of Crops) : I’ll give you all the ingredients you want.
(The Warrior Who Buys Death) : Jinwoo, honestly, after looking into your life just now, I don’t think I have much to help you with. I haven’t seen anyone as extraordinary as you even after twenty regressions. However, if there is anything you need, I hope you will tell me.
Out of nowhere, the Constellations showered me with praise, comfort, and support. I was truly grateful for every single one of their words. Seeing how much they cared for me, I felt determined to always repay them.
‘Thank you, always.’
After expressing my feelings internally, I sat down at the table.
Baek Cheon brought the well-cooked kimchi and meat to his rice bowl. Following Byeol-i’s example next to him, he tore the kimchi with his hands and wrapped the rice with it using his chopsticks. He dipped it slightly into the broth and put it into his mouth along with a large piece of meat.
Crunch!
The kimchi was well-cooked, but it still had a very slight crunch. That gap between soft and crunchy was perfect. Baek Cheon’s eyes widened as he felt a rush of flavors before he even had time to process the texture.
From the sourness of the kimchi to the umami of the broth and the richness of the meat—when all three were combined and enhanced by Jinwoo’s Dexterity stat and Buff Bestowal skill…
It was a truly fantastic taste. Moreover, weren’t most of the ingredients buff-type food items grown personally by the Father of Crops? He could feel his energy and stamina recovering as he ate, and the taste was magnificent.
“Hehe, Uncle! Is it good?”
Byeol-i called Baek Cheon “Uncle” instead of “Brother.” This was because whenever she called him Brother, Eric couldn’t hide his disappointed expression.
“It’s delicious. It’s really, incredibly delicious.”
“Try it like this too!”
Byeol-i, who considered herself an expert on eating, stuck close to Baek Cheon and explained how to eat. It seemed Byeol-i took a great liking to her new “Uncle.” Eric and Alton watched the scene with bittersweet smiles. Whether he knew it or not, Baek Cheon doted on Byeol-i and followed her instructions.
Following Byeol-i’s lead, he soaked the rice in broth and topped it with torn kimchi. He added a piece of Black Pig meat and exactly one drop of sesame oil. Then, he topped it with a piece of seasoned seaweed and took a huge bite.
(Anonymous 1) : This method of Byeol-i’s… is seriously delicious. Byeol-i can’t see our chat right now, can she?
(God of Rain and Sunlight) : Yeah, the joint broadcast is off.
(Anonymous 1) : Really? This is damn tasty!
(God of Cheongha’s Waters) : To think there was a way to eat it so deliciously. Byeol-i is a dutiful daughter.
(The Warrior Who Buys Death) : …It truly is delicious, truly delicious!! This is the best food of my life!
(Anonymous 1) : It’s funny seeing him revert to his original way of speaking because he’s so excited.
(The Last Cook) : Ho… The more I see it, the more I realize this ingredient called kimchi is truly amazing. To think of salting and fermenting cabbage. This is legendary. This addiction… it’s truly incredible!
(Returnee of the Demon Realm) : …This brings back old memories. My mother used to be really good at making braised kimchi. Jinwoo, it’s really delicious.
(Endless Waiting) : The best, simply the best!
(The Last Blacksmith) : I missed what was said because I was busy eating while teaching my disciple.
(Father of Crops) : Kacha, it’s delicious! By the way, Julian, are you still teaching that human? The avatar you met thanks to Jinwoo.
(The Last Blacksmith) : He’s my first and last human disciple, so I’m always teaching him. But Jinwoo’s food was so delicious that I just forgot what I was saying to him.
But this wasn’t the end. The real surprise came afterward. When the braised kimchi was mostly gone, Jinwoo used scissors to chop the remaining ingredients finely. After cutting them many times, he added a little water and boiled it.
“Now, please try the stew.”
At those words, everyone at the table grinned, and the Constellations who had followed Jinwoo’s recipe also smiled. They used ladles to scoop the stew onto their rice and mixed it vigorously with sesame oil. Then, they took a large bite.
(The Last Cook) : The savory taste of the sesame oil pairs perfectly with the sour and savory taste of the kimchi. Furthermore, because the ingredients are all finely chopped and mixed, the balance of flavor is perfect!
The Last Cook, having acquired a new recipe, chatted excitedly. He was captivated by the stimulating and addictive taste of Korean food.
[The Normal-grade Constellation, The Last Cook, has sponsored 3,000 coins!]
Jinwoo had become a coin millionaire in just one day. He had spent a lot of coins recently, but they were being “duplicated” like this again. Jinwoo wore a proud smile as he ate the stew mixed with rice. Even though he had made it himself, it was delicious.
“Baek Cheon, how is it?”
“…I was thinking that my friend is much better at cooking than I expected.”
“Haha, really? I’m glad it suits your palate.”
“It’s not just a matter of fitting my palate, friend. You are a strange fellow the more I get to know you.”
“My Lord is a great person.”
“Mm, that was what I meant. And your Lord is now my Lord as well. Anyway, it’s truly delicious. Your Lord’s cooking skills are remarkable.”
“Haha, of course!”
Eric smirked as he looked at Baek Cheon. It seemed his favorable impression of Baek Cheon had increased.
“Looking at the video Anonymous edited, your depth in martial arts seems quite profound.”
“I think you are a step above me.”
(Anonymous 1) : It’s still hard for the likes of Baek Cheon or Geomyeon to compare to Eric.
(The Warrior Who Buys Death) : Hm? That summon named Eric looks strong, but aren’t I a Legend-grade Constellation now? You should know that the gap between a human and a Constellation is larger than you think.
(Anonymous 1) : He is the one who trained with me. He’s even the one who followed me, a regressor. In terms of martial arts alone, Eric is two steps above you.
(The Warrior Who Buys Death) : …I must put in more effort.
(Anonymous 1) : There is only an immense amount of time and effort required to surpass those with talent.
Since Baek Cheon and Eric were both masters who had achieved great enlightenment in martial arts, they began to discuss swordsmanship. In the process, Anonymous and Geomyeon also added their two cents, and the four sword-lovers began to have a wonderful time.
Because they had met three others who could understand high-level discussions that others wouldn’t even comprehend, their conversation was full of laughter.
(Father of Crops) : Hmph… I’ll just play with Alton and Maru.
(The Last Blacksmith) : I should go back to raising my disciple.
(The Last Cook) : Jinwoo, would you like to discuss cooking with me?
‘I’m sorry, I have to play with my daughter whom I haven’t seen in a long time.’
Jinwoo headed out for a night date on the streets of Andong with just Byeol-i. In the meantime, the spirits and Alton were absorbed in playing in the vegetable garden, while Eric, Baek Cheon, Anonymous, and Geomyeon were so immersed in their martial arts discussion that they didn’t even notice Jinwoo leaving.
“Daddy! Where are we going?”
“Let’s go everywhere you want to go!”
Jinwoo began to enjoy his date with his daughter.
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