Kkiruk!
The mayonejo hit by Mio’s Nyanyang Punch twisted its body, trying to stand.
Only then did Irim snap back to reality, immediately raising the Boning Sword and slashing down at the mayonejo’s neck.
This time, he didn’t aim for the death point.
Just swung wildly.
Seogeok!
With the sound of flesh being sliced, the mayonejo’s neck separated from its body.
Surprised, Irim stared at the Boning Sword.
“I guess I’ve gotten a lot stronger.”
He hadn’t aimed for the death point nor used One-Point Thrust, yet he took down the mayonejo in one hit.
Irim butchered the mayonejo’s carcass on the spot.
In the end, the mayonejo that lunged for the meat became meat itself.
“Good job, Mio.”
Mio~
Mio purred happily at Irim’s praise.
Irim stabbed the completed whole-grilled pork belly with his dagger, lifted it, and took a big bite.
“Mmm!”
For something grilled as a substitute because he wanted beef steak, the taste was outstanding.
As expected, grilling it whole resulted in much less juice loss than cutting it.
Irim shared it with Mio too.
Mi~nyangnyangnyangnyang.
Mio chewed the pork belly diligently with its small mouth.
As the two marveled at the dazzling festival of flavors exploding in their mouths with each bite of pork belly, a group approached them.
Irim and Mio turned their heads toward them simultaneously.
“Rice! We meet again here. Hahaha.”
The one greeting friendly was Maengho, whom he met at the pig restaurant.
Behind Maengho stood Luke, Karen, and Xyle.
Irim asked Maengho.
“Weren’t you going for the quest?”
He had left the restaurant before Irim, so it was strange they were still near the north gate.
“I was going to, but it’s a bit much to go alone. I’m trying hard to recruit people, but it’s really tough. I’ll wait 10 more minutes, and if not, I’ll just go.”
“I heard the more participants, the stronger the monsters get?”
“I know. I know this is pretty much an uncleared quest. But I still want to try. So it’s more about the experience than clearing. Maybe we get lucky and clear it. Anyway, with that mindset, having one more companion would make it more enjoyable. Haha.”
“I see. Good luck.”
Maengho hoped Irim might say he’d join.
But when Irim coldly turned away, embarrassment and disappointment settled on his smiling face.
“Haaa. Guess I have to go alone after all. It’ll be boring.”
“Let’s hurry now, Maengho.”
Luke urged the path.
“Yeah. Let’s go. Go.”
As Maengho gave up everything and started walking, Karen asked.
“Do you know how to deal with the monsters in Marina’s Hideout?”
Maengho shook his head.
“I’ll figure it out when I get there and clash.”
“You unprepared guy. Listen well. The monsters in Marina’s Hideout are different from the ones you outsiders have faced so far. Even the ones on the first floor are crustacean monsters with bodies encased in hard armor, like severed crabs and electric shrimps. Swinging a sword clumsily will just bounce off.”
“Ah, really? It’s fine. I can search for info and learn the strategy on the way.”
“Search? Ah. You outsiders’ superpower. I know. Everyone uses that.”
Maengho and Karen’s conversation reached Irim’s ears nearby.
‘Crabs……
Shrimps?’
Irim’s eyes sparkled.
He rushed over and asked Karen.
“You said crabs and shrimps appear?”
“Startled!”
Maengho, thinking Irim had already left, jumped.
Karen nodded calmly.
“Not ordinary crabs and shrimps, but basically…… Why do you ask?”
Karen spoke casually despite it being their first meeting.
But Irim didn’t care about that.
His mind was already dominated by crabs and shrimps.
The area Irim was traveling had no sea or river at all.
So he hadn’t even thought about seafood, but crustaceans suddenly popped up.
‘Crabs. Shrimps.’
Crabs are delicious just steamed or boiled with nothing else.
If ingredients are plentiful, crab stew is also great.
And shrimps?
Spread salt thickly and grill them on top—you could easily eat twenty in one sitting.
They add their unique umami to broth.
Steamed is delicious too.
Anyway, creatures that absolutely cannot be tasteless.
“Um…… Maengho.”
“Yes?”
“Sorry for suddenly changing my mind…… Can I join the quest too?”
A normal person would question the sudden attitude change, but Maengho was genuinely cheerful.
He nodded vigorously with a bright face.
“Of course! Hahaha! I’ll share the quest right away!”
As Maengho finished speaking, a window appeared before Irim.
[Job Quest – Subjugate Marina’s Hideout]
Clear Condition: Marina’s death
Reward: Skill ‘Earth Cleave’ acquisition (Warrior only), 500,000 Won
<Content>
“Marina is a witch who kidnaps children to research evil sorcery. She stayed in Tirko Village, pretending to be a kind neighbor, but a few months ago, her identity was exposed, and she vanished.”
“However, after it was revealed she was hiding in a cave near Badran, Count Beatrice issued a subjugation order, unable to tolerate such an evil witch breathing in his territory. Many mercenaries sought her hideout to execute her, but most became headless corpses.”
‘So that’s the story.’
For quests shared by others, the content is summarized.
Irim checked the neatly organized quest and nodded.
Actually, the content didn’t matter.
As long as he could taste crabs and shrimps, that was enough.
[Accepting quest share will automatically party with ‘Maengho’, and the party leader will be ‘Maengho’ who proposed the share. Current item distribution is ‘in turn’. Share the quest?]
[Yes/No]
Irim accepted the quest share.
Thus, he partied with Maengho.
Excited Maengho tried to hug Irim like when they first met.
“Rice! Thank you so much……!”
But as he approached.
Haaak!
Mio on Irim’s head bristled its fur, puffed its chubby butt back, and guarded against him.
It was trying to threaten.
But Maengho’s eyes filled with hearts at the sight.
“R-Rice! This c-cute creature is Cat Lord, isn’t it!”
“Huh? It’s a cat.”
“How could I dare call a cat a mere cat. Cat Lord is a sacred and perfect being in existence! How did I not know Cat Lord was with you when we first met? Cat Lord~ May I pet your head once?”
Maengho reached for Mio’s head.
That instant.
Mio!
Pabababababababababababak!
20 consecutive Nyanyang Punches flew out.
Maengho laughed heartily, watching his health drop by 2 each hit.
“Hahahaha. Thank you for bestowing twenty bear jellies, Cat Lord!”
Maengho’s cheeks flushed, snorting heavily.
“Now that companions have increased as desired, let’s go.”
It was Luke’s words.
“Ah, right.”
Maengho finally regained his senses and started walking.
Yet his gaze wouldn’t leave Mio.
Irim asked Luke while heading to the destination.
“How long to Marina’s Hideout?”
“About twenty minutes.”
“I heard the more people, the stronger the monsters. Does the number of party members change the type of monsters?”
“No. The monsters there just get stronger. Probably the power of the evil sorcery Marina cast.”
“I see.”
Irim patted his chest in relief.
If the monsters changed, there’d be no reason to join.
Irim continued walking with Maengho and the NPCs.
As the destination neared, wind hoppers decreased, and new monsters appeared.
But these monsters were ones Irim couldn’t just pass.
‘Twin-Horn Chickens?’
They were upgraded versions of unicorn chickens with two horns on their heads.
Two stars prefixed their names.
Meaning 2-star monsters.
“Um. Can we hunt some twin-horn chickens?”
At Irim’s suggestion, Xyle smirked and drew the two swords at his waist.
“You’ll hunt whether you want to or not. They’re aggressive monsters.”
As soon as Xyle finished, two nearby twin-horn chickens charged.
Luke gripped his two-hand sword with both hands, Karen equipped knuckles on her fists.
Maengho’s weapon was a spear.
“Ooh! New monsters!”
Irim tried to draw the Boning Sword too.
Seogeok! Puk! Peoeok! Syugak!
The three NPCs and Maengho didn’t give him the chance.
Two took one chicken each, pounding it front and back.
As 2-star monsters, they weren’t pushovers, but no match for a group beatdown.
The two twin-horn chickens soon lay on the ground.
“We keep moving while dealing with the ones that charge.”
It was Luke’s words.
They focused only on killing twin-horn chickens, not even glancing at the carcasses.
Thanks to that, Irim followed the four hunters and easily collected the carcasses.
Then, looking around, he spotted ginseng stems here and there.
‘Jackpot.’
While collecting carcasses, Irim pulled and pocketed the ginseng.
“Phew. We’ve arrived.”
When Irim had recovered about 33 twin-horn chicken carcasses, they reached a cliff face.
The cliff had a narrow entrance hidden by vines.
“This is Marina’s Hideout.”
Karen said.
“Then, before going in to exorcise, shall we fill our stomachs first.”
It was Xyle who suggested.
He plopped down on the ground, took jerky from his pocket, and chewed jjeokjjeok.
Karen tore bread with cheese on top and ate, Luke ate everything the two were eating.
“I already miss the pig restaurant food.”
“It used to be takeout possible, but with more customers, it’s hard now.”
“That pork belly was killer.”
At the three’s words, Maengho raised his hand high.
“Everyone. Have you forgotten? We have an excellent chef in our party? Rice, who passed down the food to the pig restaurant, is right here!”
At that, the NPCs’ gazes turned to Rice.
Irim was already gathering branches, lighting a fire, and taking out cooking tools to cook.
Everyone focused on Irim’s actions.
“Anyone have water?”
At Irim’s words, Maengho quickly handed his water bottle.
Irim poured water into the pot, boiled it vigorously, then dropped five twin-horn chicken carcasses.
He blanched them briefly, pulled them out, and plucked feathers at lightning speed.
Next, he chopped off the necks, ankles, and unnecessary fat of the now-naked chickens tak tak, slit the bellies, removed internals, and washed cleanly with water.
Maengho and the NPCs watched in amazement.
“That knife skill is no joke?”
It was Luke’s admiration at Irim’s handiwork butchering monsters with the dagger.
He filled the pot with fresh water, added the five butchered chickens, twenty garlic cloves from Paltau’s kitchen, ten jujubes.
Finally, he added five cleaned ginseng roots, closed the lid, and boiled vigorously.
As all ingredients simmered puk puk in the pot, a savory aroma vibrated everywhere.
At the familiar smell, Maengho’s eyes widened.
“I hoped, but you’re really making that!”
“Yes.”
Irim smiled.
Then Luke, Karen, Xyle swallowed saliva kkolleok kkolleok, staring at the pot.
“Smells killer? What are you making?”
At Karen’s question, Irim answered.
“Samgyetang.”