Michelin is a French tire manufacturer.
This company secretly visits restaurants worldwide, awarding stars to those that meet their strict guidelines.
Stars range from one to a maximum of three.
A one-star rating signifies a restaurant offering high-quality cuisine.
A two-star rating indicates a place worth detouring to for its exceptional food.
A three-star rating denotes a restaurant so outstanding that it’s worth traveling to the region just to dine there.
The Michelin Guide compiles and introduces information about such restaurants.
The Michelin Guide is widely regarded as the most authoritative and prestigious directory of fine dining establishments in the world.
Yet, in the virtual reality game Real, the God of Cooking is named ‘Michulang.’
[The God of Cooking ‘Michulang’ has taken an interest in you.]
Michulang?
Irim was more intrigued by why the God of Cooking was interested in him than by the playful naming choice.
Moreover, the existence of a deity in this virtual reality world piqued his curiosity.
The message about Michulang ended with that single line, with no further details.
Irim felt a twinge of disappointment, having expected something more to happen.
As he smacked his lips in mild frustration, Rozelan spoke to him.
“Rice, I want to give you something as a token of my gratitude.”
“What is it?”
Rozelan rummaged through the corners of the kitchen.
Soon, an assortment of cooking utensils was placed before Irim.
Irim examined them one by one.
A large pot, cutting Board, kitchen knife, scissors, ladle, spatula, fork, knife, spoon, plates, bowls, cups, a colander, a sieve—the list went on.
Rozelan wrapped them neatly in a sturdy cloth.
On the cloth, the following text was written:
[Low-Grade Cooking Utensil Package]
Ohh.
For Irim, who was walking the path of a Chef, these were essential tools.
This bonus reward was possible because his favor with Rozelan had significantly increased after teaching her more than two dishes.
A casual act of kindness had brought him unexpected fortune.
“You’re giving me all of this?”
“Take it before I change my mind.”
“Haha, thank you.”
Irim stored the cooking utensil package in his inventory.
The thought of being able to cook more conveniently during his travels lifted his spirits.
“I’ll work hard to master the three dishes you taught me, so travelers will have a reason to visit this village.”
“It’ll work out well.”
“So, Rice, are you heading off to defeat the Demon King now?”
“Huh?”
“Oh, aren’t you? All the outsiders who came through the dimensional rift seem obsessed with defeating the Demon King.”
As Irim conversed with Rozelan, he was momentarily taken aback.
Come to think of it, at some point, he had started treating Rozelan not as an NPC but as a real person.
To have such natural conversations with a being, interact without awkwardness, and even witness learning capabilities in artificial intelligence—what kind of scientific advancements had created this world?
Pushing those thoughts aside, Irim shook his head.
“No, I’m not interested in that. I came here to cook and properly taste food.”
“Was that difficult in the world you came from?”
“Yes.”
Irim gave a bittersweet smile.
Seeing this, Rozelan didn’t pry further.
“May your path ahead be filled with blessings.”
Rozelan smiled brightly and extended her hand.
Irim lightly grasped it.
“You too, Rozelan.”
No trace of melancholy remained on her face.
***
After Irim left the restaurant, a customer arrived.
A woman with golden blonde hair, blue eyes, a stunning figure, and a mystical aura—it was Letisia, the game administrator.
“Welcome!”
Rozelan approached her with a warm greeting.
“You’re quite lucky, dear customer.”
“Why’s that?”
“We just added new menu items a short while ago.”
“Am I the first to try them?”
“Yes. We have grilled pork belly, bulgogi, and a sandwich. What would you like me to prepare?”
“All of them.”
“Are you sure you want all of them?”
“Don’t let my looks fool you—I’m a big eater.”
“Please wait a moment.”
As Rozelan headed to the kitchen, Letisia grinned.
Finally, I get to try them.
Administrators in Real could manifest as players but were forbidden from direct transactions with other players.
However, purchasing something from an NPC-run restaurant within the game’s guidelines was perfectly fine.
“Your order is ready. Enjoy your meal.”
Rozelan placed the three dishes on Letisia’s table.
Letisia looked at the names floating above the dishes and gave a meaningful smile.
[Rice’s Grilled Pork Belly]
[Rice’s Mouthwatering Pork Bulgogi]
[Rice’s Mouthwatering Pork Bulgogi Sandwich]
Each dish’s name was prefixed with “Rice’s,” a badge of honor given to those who left a significant mark on the main storyline.
Rice himself had left unaware of this fact.
Leaving his mark on this world’s history three times already?
That’s impressive.
Let’s see how it tastes.
Letisia was curious about how real-world food tasted when recreated in the game.
Rice has been overly dramatic about eating all this time.
No matter how delicious, fried eggs or chicken skewers were just that, weren’t they?
The same should apply to grilled pork belly and bulgogi.
Even so, Rice’s enthusiastic eating had sparked her curiosity, leading her here.
With little expectation, Letisia took a bite of the grilled pork belly.
This pork belly is the same as anywhere else, he was exaggerating—huh?
As she chewed, Letisia’s eyes widened.
What is this?
The pork belly burst with juices she had never experienced before.
It shattered her preconception that such succulence was exclusive to beef.
Letisia examined the pork belly on her plate.
It was thicker than usual.
Typically, pork belly was sliced thinly and grilled flat.
But this was cut thickly into rectangular chunks, allowing the crispy exterior to trap the juices inside.
By the time Letisia snapped out of it, the pork belly had vanished into her stomach.
She devoured the bulgogi and sandwich just as quickly.
My goodness.
It was so delicious it didn’t even feel like game food.
She was tempted to order more.
At that moment, five players entered the restaurant.
“Hey, doesn’t it smell amazing in here?”
“Yeah, it’s like meat.”
“More precisely, pork belly.”
“No way… are they actually making pork belly now?”
Rozelan smiled brightly at their comments.
“Yes, we’re serving pork belly and other dishes. But ingredients are always in short supply, so I’d appreciate it if you could sell me spotted pig carcasses for 500 Won.”
“That’s insane! Pork belly!”
“Hell yeah, let’s eat!”
“I’ve got a spotted pig carcass! I’ll sell it all!”
The players, buzzing with excitement, practically snorted as they took their seats.
Letisia watched the scene with a soft smile.
***
“Phew. Phew.”
In the Gangwon Server’s Spider Forest, a man had just succeeded in hunting the newly appeared Claw Lizard Princess.
No other players were around him.
He had completed a solo raid.
But his face showed no joy.
He stared at the corpse of the Claw Lizard Princess slumped on the ground.
More precisely, he was looking at the name floating above it.
[Rice’s Claw Lizard Princess]
The man barely held back a curse.
This wasn’t the first time.
In the Starting Grassland, the Great Unicorn Chicken had the same title before its name.
[Rice’s Great Unicorn Chicken]
Having the name of the first player to hunt a boss monster prefixed to its title was an event exclusive to regional servers.
The man had solo-raided the Great Unicorn Chicken as well, but it left him with an uneasy feeling.
The same was true now.
“Who the hell is this Rice guy?”
The name above the man’s head read ‘Epicure.’
He swung a Sturdy Horn with one hand, slicing off a piece of the Claw Lizard Princess’s flesh.
Without cooking it, he ate it raw.
Chew, chew. Gulp!
A system message visible only to Epicure appeared.
[Consuming an improperly cooked monster results in absorbing only 1% of its stats.]
[No further stats will be absorbed from consuming the same type of monster.]
“Tch!”
With the message, his stats increased slightly.
The ability to absorb a portion of a hunted creature’s stats by eating its raw flesh was something others would call a cheat.
“Cooking is such a hassle.”
Epicure loved eating but hated cooking.
He preferred eating raw meat over properly cooked dishes.
Of course, this was only possible in the game.
“Why doesn’t this game have NPC chefs?”
Grumbling, Epicure packed up the Claw Lizard corpse and moved on.
“Have I already eaten everything worth eating around here?”
As he pondered, he thought of the Red Queen Spider.
His mouth watered at the idea.
Epicure, who even considered eating spiders—something most people wouldn’t dream of—had earned the profession ‘Gourmet’ through his unusual actions.
***
Before leaving Tirko Village, Irim decided to explore it thoroughly one more time.
He had only given the village a cursory glance upon arrival, focusing solely on quests and missing out on proper sightseeing.
He was also curious whether Eater had completed his profession quest.
If he had, Eater would likely be selling his crafted items at the armor shop.
“Mio.”
Irim summoned Mio, who had been sealed.
Mio appeared atop Irim’s head.
Mio~
The kitten let out a loud cry.
Irim lifted Mio from his head, cradling it in his arms and petting it gently.
“Hehe, so cute.”
Mio buried its face in Irim’s chest, diligently kneading with its front paws.
It wasn’t using the Press-Press F skill—just expressing its comfort.
With Mio in his arms, Irim strolled through the village.
The village was, as always, bustling with players, but the buildings felt lifeless.
As he wandered, Irim stopped in front of the armor shop.
A large wooden sign above the door read ‘Parco’s Armor Shop.’
Mio had somehow climbed back onto Irim’s head, settling there.
I wonder if Eater completed his quest.
Just as Irim was about to enter the armor shop, a deep voice rang out.
“A cat on your head!”
Irim turned toward the sound.
Before him stood a middle-aged man with an impressively muscular build.
His face was flushed with excitement.
A player? Or an NPC?
As Irim pondered, the man shouted again.
“Blue-silver hair and brown eyes! Are you, by chance, Rice?”
“Uh… yes?”
“I knew it! Phew, I’ve been looking for you after hearing from Rozelan. I’m glad you haven’t left the village yet. I’m Ferguson. I know it’s presumptuous, but I have a favor to ask of you, Rice.”
Irim glanced at Ferguson’s head.
A yellow question mark floated above it.