Chapter 40: Seasoned Crab

“Bravo!”

With one mouth less, Maengho excitedly clapped.

“Xyle. You really not eating?”

“Not eating.”

Maengho confirmed Xyle’s intent again and smacked his lips.

“Then I’ll eat Xyle’s share, Rice.”

Rice smiled and replied.

“That’s mine.”

“Ah…….”

Maengho’s shoulders drooped.

Meanwhile, Luke and Karen stared intently at the seasoned crab in the pot.

“What will it taste like?”

Luke asked.

Karen sniffed the seasoning and answered.

“Sniff sniff. Spicy-sweet.”

The two already believed seasoned crab would be unconditionally delicious.

The aftereffect of the samgyetang Irim made was that great.

Steam rose from the pot on the fire.

The rice-cooking smell spread everywhere.

“Huuup~ Haa.”

Irim deeply inhaled the aroma.

‘Happy.’

The rice smell after a year made his heart tingle.

The rice-cooking smell was good in itself, but it had a charm that somehow warmly embraced people’s hearts.

A warm, pleasant smell.

That was the image etched in Irim.

“Sniff sniff. Ah~ Reminds me of mom.”

Maengho smiled sniffing the smell too.

When the rice seemed somewhat cooked, Irim removed a few logs from the bonfire, reducing heat.

After more time, he completely extinguished the fire, then placed the pot on the remaining embers.

Steaming with residual heat.

After the endurance time ended, Irim slowly opened the pot lid.

Then, milky steam rose like winter breath.

The rich, savory flavor inside immediately told how well the rice was cooked.

Irim took a spatula from the low-grade cooking tool package and stirred the rice.

The bottom had become nurungji stuck to the pot, and above it, fluffy white rice grains gleamed radiantly.

Kkolleok!

Maengho swallowed saliva.

“How long since I’ve seen pot rice.”

Maengho personally ranked pot rice number one.

Second was stone pot rice, third electric rice cooker rice.

Stone pot rice is really tasty too.

But the unique flavor, taste, and texture of pot rice couldn’t be matched.

No, setting all that aside, pot rice was strangely delicious.

Irim liked pot rice too.

He took out five bowls and evenly divided the pot rice.

He scraped half the nurungji aside and poured water into the pot.

Chiiiiiik!

Cold water hitting the hot remaining nurungji made a pleasant sound.

The heat in the embers quickly warmed the water.

Soon, the water filling the pot turned cloudy as nurungji’s taste and aroma spread.

Irim closed the lid and finally picked up a well-seasoned crab piece.

‘Looks delicious.’

The body full of plump meat was extremely appetizing.

Luke and Karen, seeing seasoned crab for the first time, didn’t know how to eat it and watched Irim.

Irim held the large crab body with both hands, brought it to his mouth, pressed the shell with teeth, and sucked jjok jjok the meat inside.

Then, spicy-sweet seasoned meat filled his mouth.

The moment soft, chewy crab meat and red seasoning harmonized, Irim felt he owned the world.

‘Delicious.’

Insanely delicious.

Irim, also called the seasoned crab ghost.

With just seasoned crab, he could eat rice for a week without other side dishes.

Gulp!

Tasted pure seasoned crab, now time to enjoy with rice.

Scooped a spoonful of steaming pot rice, put it in his mouth, then sucked jjuuuk the remaining meat.

Hot rice paired insanely well with cold seasoned crab.

Seasoning and crab meat seeped between fluffy rice grains.

There are many thieves in the world.

But the most dangerous is the

‘Rice thief.’

Rice thief.

One that makes you consume massive calories if you let your guard down!

Seasoned crab naturally ranked high among rice thieves.

Irim chewed jjak jjak the meat in the crab body’s legs too, then picked another body.

This time, squeezed the body meat jjuuk onto the rice.

Scooped a big spoonful, put crab meat and rice in one bite.

Da.

“Mmm.”

Irim closed his eyes and moaned.

Gulp!

Luke and Karen, watching intently, swallowed dryly.

Even Xyle, who said he wouldn’t eat, desperately held back saliva.

Maengho, who knew how to eat seasoned crab, lost his mind focusing on Irim’s mukbang.

‘Wow, really eats deliciously.’

He had seen many popular BJs’ mukbangs through internet broadcasts.

But Rice’s mukbang was a level above.

Every expression, gesture, small breath contained the food’s taste.

It conveyed sincere love for food.

While the four watched Irim entranced, he finished one and a half crabs.

Now, half a crab left for Irim.

Of course, if Xyle kept his word not to eat, he could have two more.

But glancing at Xyle’s expression, he couldn’t hold back.

Saliva dripped without him knowing.

Irim squeezed the remaining half crab’s meat jjuuuk onto the rice left about one-third, took sesame oil from inventory, drizzled a circle.

Then lifted the spoon.

Maengho’s eyes widened like lanterns.

Da.

Da.

Da.

“S-Surely!”

It was that surely.

Irim gently mixed the seasoned crab meat into the white rice seok seok.

“Heok! T-That I absolutely can’t endure! Who can hold back without eating! Known taste is the scariest!”

Maengho rattled emotionally immersed.

Irim mixed gently without force.

Too much force would mash the crab meat, losing its texture.

Irim scooped a spoonful of well-mixed seasoned crab rice and shoved it in mercilessly.

‘……Ah.’

Irim inwardly exclaimed.

Chaos in his mouth.

Spicy-sweet seasoned chewy crab meat and firm rice spat sweetness with each chew.

Sesame oil’s nutty aroma joined, making the flavor insane beyond words.

Quickly cleaned two large crabs and a bowl of rice, Irim looked at Xyle and asked.

“Xyle. Not eating, right?”

But Xyle already held half a crab.

“I-I think I made a mistake. Sorry. Is…… it too late?”

At timid Xyle’s reaction, Irim chuckled.

“Enjoy, Xyle.”

“Thanks, magnanimous!”

[Xyle’s favorability greatly increased.]

Favorability rose for yielding food.

Irim inwardly laughed at the human side.

The four unanimously picked seasoned crabs and sucked jjok jjok.

“Insane delicious.”

Maengho’s face almost tearful.

Luke and Karen, trying seasoned crab first, were surprised by the taste.

“Wow. This is really good?”

At Luke’s words, Karen nodded.

“First time with this texture.”

Exchanging words, they looked at Xyle as if agreed.

He, wasting no time talking, quickly finished half and picked another half.

“Would’ve been disaster not eating.”

“My words.”

Seasoned crab and rice vanished instantly.

But everyone looked regretful.

Too little food compared to their appetite.

But it wasn’t over.

Irim opened the pot lid and distributed the well-made sungnyung.

“What’s this?”

Karen asked.

“It’s sungnyung. Simple dish completed by pouring water on nurungji left in the rice pot.”

“Whoa. Never thought to eat this.”

Karen stuck out her tongue.

Irim tilted his head.

“Don’t you usually eat rice?”

“Yeah, but the hard rice left at the bottom is burnt. Threw it away.”

“Ah…..”

Irim sent a small silent prayer to the nurungji wasted without showing their value.

Brought the bowl close to his nose.

Then, the ultimate savory smell flowed in.

“Haa.”

What food in the world could beat sungnyung’s savoriness?

Irim drank hororok.

Hot sungnyung was savory from mouth through esophagus to stomach.

Savoriness spreading through the whole body.

Irim scooped slightly softened nurungji with a spoon and ate.

Odok. Odok.

Some parts soft and sticky, some still hard.

Nurungji coexisting two textures was immensely fun to chew.

‘This is the taste of living.’

Emotion filled Irim’s chest.

How many foods had he eaten today in the game!

Seeing Irim immersed in sentiment, others quickly poured sungnyung into their mouths.

“Whew, savory.”

Maengho blew huhu and drank diligently.

“This is insane? Right, Karen.”

“Don’t talk. I’m busy. Learn from Xyle focusing only on eating.”

“Keu! Good!”

NPCs fell deeply for sungnyung’s charm.

They cleaned a bowl of sungnyung without special side dishes.

But one more edible remained.

Irim broke the nurungji set aside before making sungnyung into pieces, lightly sprinkled sugar, and distributed.

“Enjoy this like dessert.”

“Ah! This is nurungji. Looked like this before wetting.”

At Karen’s words, Xyle grinned.

“That sounded dirty?”

“Shut up, pervert.”

Karen clenched her fist, Xyle quickly dodged aside.

Put the nurungji in his mouth.

Odok. Ododok.

Hard nurungji spat hidden flavor the more chewed.

Lightly sprinkled sugar added subtle sweetness, perfectly matching the nutty flavor.

“This is art too.”

Xyle nodded.

Karen and Luke enjoyed eating nurungji too.

The odok odok chewing texture was especially fun.

But dark aura gathered from Irim, happy eating until now.

He chewed nurungji, deeply pondering something.

‘Would be really good to end the meal with…… Release? Or not?’

Conflicted Irim decided.

‘Release!’

He rummaged in inventory and took something out.

Placed it tak among the sitting companions.

Companions’ eyes widened.

Xyle’s eyes expanded, mouth agape.

“Rice-nim. Could this……?”

Irim nodded.

“Beer. Everyone have a glass. With nurungji as snack, it’ll be killer.”

“Uwaaaaa!”

Maengho screamed in joy.

Beer in virtual reality game!

He never imagined.

But Luke, Karen, Xyle froze like statues with serious faces, saying nothing.

‘What? Hate beer?’

As Irim worried, a message suddenly appeared.

[Luke, Karen, Xyle’s favorability greatly increased.]