If you cross the ecological stream from Daehak-ro, you’ll find yourself in the nightlife district.
There’s a place nearby that sells big hamburgers, and there’s a subway too.
It’s a street I often visit.
At night, you see women in short skirts with aegyo-sal under their eyes, wearing trench coats, climbing into vans like those celebrities use.
There are also tattooed thugs hanging around—it’s not exactly a no-kids zone,
But it’s not a place I’d recommend.
Strangely enough, there is a pawn shop that seems to have opened recently (about 5 years ago), although it is not a new pawn shop.
Since it’s a pawnshop, of course they’ll accept precious metals, and I’m thin king of doing business by selling items rather than lending them.
“Ugh, hmm. Is this right…?”
It feels like an open channel connecting to some dark world.
It’s like the awkwardness of drinking 1,000-won makgeolli among red-faced elders at Tapgol Park in Jongno.
Sure, the old folks might enjoy it when a young guy joins them, but for the drinker, it’s an awkward place.
It’s not that I’m too lazy to go out.
“For now, it seems like second-hand trading is possible…!”
Gold, being a metal that’s like the root of currency,
Can cause issues like gold smuggling, right?
I’m looking into whether I need to trade it under the radar to avoid legal trouble.
Legally, it seems possible to start a business extracting gold from smartphone or computer parts.
It’s also not impossible for an individual to pan for gold on their own land.
“Hmm.”
Near my hometown, my mom inherited some land from my grandmother where she plants sweet potatoes, only to feed wild boars.
There’s a small stream nearby, so panning for gold in the water isn’t entirely out of the question.
It’s just too small-scale, so no one bothers.
“Hey, RiceCookerMan.”
[You called! I’ve been waiting.]
RiceCookerMan doesn’t initiate conversation, which is convenient.
I’m quietly playing a game I haven’t touched in a while, and it’d be annoying if the rice cooker kept talking.
“Alright, the master of the dining table is rice.”
[That’s a brilliant thought!]
If its interest was voltage and circuits, I wouldn’t understand, but since it’s about rice, something we need to eat to live,
We talked about rice and food, and this guy has some strong opinions about rice.
It’s not like the educational comics I read as a kid, but there was a comic in the school library—next to Greek and Roman mythology—that I borrowed a lot because it was a comic.
When I quoted a famous line from it, RiceCookerMan loved it.
“So, besides steaming the invaders from that world, how do you level up?”
[By cooking rice!]
“What about steamed buns or dumplings?”
[Actually, anything that can be steamed works!]
“Your core function is cooking rice, right?”
[Correct!]
I opened the pouch where I’ve been collecting items dropped by otherworldly beings.
I showed it the items.
The description isn’t very detailed, but it says “for synthesis.”
I don’t know what it’s synthesized with or into.
There’s too little to take to a health food store for juicing or boiling.
“If I put this in and cook rice with it, will the effect double?”
[It probably won’t have much synthesis effect with rice, right?]
This is the first time RiceCookerMan has expressed concern.
“So there’s a synthesis effect?”
[There should be. Synthesis usually involves melting everything in a boiling neutral solution. If there’s no neutral solution, you just use water and boil, boil… wait?]
“What’s with the ‘wait’?”
[I think I can synthesize something too!]
I figured.
Think about traditional cauldrons used for cooking rice porridge—fire in the hearth, cooking rice, and so on.
A rice cooker just adjusts the heat and water to suit rice.
“Alright, RiceCookerMan. Today, don’t guard the gate—cook some rice.”
That thought crossed my mind,
But I also wanted to eat.
I thought about scooping some rice with the chili/vegetable tuna I bought online in a pack of 20.
RiceCookerMan’s been begging to be used, and it feels wrong to ignore it.
What should I say?
If my clothes started talking and begging to be worn today, could I just ignore them?
[You’ve measured the water well!]
“Can’t it be automatic?”
The amount is the real issue.
Washing rice or setting it to cook isn’t hard.
But rice cookers aren’t designed for small portions, so for a single person, cooking once means meals keep revolving around rice—a vicious cycle.
[It seems appropriate. I’ll start.]
At least RiceCookerMan signals when the water’s right.
“No faster cooking speed?”
[Sorry, but don’t rush delicious rice. Great rice comes from patient, careful time.]
Oh, right.
If I get another spirit soul or egg, I’ll try hatching it in the microwave next.
The air fryer’s basket isn’t tall enough to block a gate.
Maybe I should buy a bigger air fryer.
I eat mostly frozen foods—like dumplings sold in packs of 8 to 10 on social markets—that have balanced nutrients to last 16 years,
So I use the air fryer and microwave more than the rice cooker.
Honestly, even though it’s “the rice cooker Mom cherished and sent for her son living alone,”
I thought, “I don’t use it much, so I’ll just use it to block the gate.”
Of course, I didn’t say that out loud, as it might feel like telling it, “You were an unwanted child.”
But “delicious dumplings,” “delicious frozen pizza,” “delicious reheated chicken” are better…
[Cooking complete!]
“Is that your real voice?”
[I was mimicking!]
Didn’t rice cookers always make that sound?
And so, I took my first scoop of RiceCookerMan’s rice.
Hmm.
I don’t really agree with the saying that Koreans live on rice.
Especially with rice, if you grind it, how’s it different from sugar?
The cheaper and tastier the food, the higher the carbs, and high-carb foods usually taste good.
So, for a young person who can’t afford gourmet dining, there’s no need to fill three meals a day with rice when cheap, accessible nutrients are everywhere.
That’s why, even seeing a pot explode, I boldly decided to use the rice cooker as a dungeon tool.
I don’t use it much.
I mostly eat instant noodles, Burger King, Subway sandwiches, so I didn’t feel the need.
But…
“It’s insanely delicious?”
[Thank you! Please use me often!]
This isn’t just polite encouragement for RiceCookerMan, who I live with.
It’s genuinely delicious.
“Wow, crazy.”
The rice just melts away.
It’s sweet, fragrant, and if rice had juices, it feels like those juices are being absorbed.
“Coffee’s just roasted beans, but it has a unique flavor and aroma. It’s not that rice tastes like coffee, but it’s that kind of vibe.”
[Why not brew coffee with me!]
I need to eat more.
When was the last time I ate two bowls of rice?
Maybe in the army, on the day they served cod nuggets, when I mixed in extra rice with instant noodle broth.
On days when most side dishes go straight to the trash and I’m scheduled to dig in,
I’ve got the ability to eat two bowls just in case a future mother-in-law sees me eating well.
“Wow, it’s really insanely delicious, huh?”
More delicious rice is being cooked.
Cooking rice seems to raise a skill-related level above RiceCookerMan’s head.
It was so good I was debating whether to scoop a third bowl.
“I’m giving you a new title. Your nickname is RiceThief.”
[I provide rice honestly! RiceThief? That’s your stomach, isn’t it?!]
No sense of humor?
By that logic, isn’t soy sauce crab unfairly blamed for disappearing into mouths?
“Huh?”
After putting down the spoon after two bowls, energy starts coursing through my body.
If I could absorb vitality and energy, it feels like I’ve gotten stronger.
For about 6 hours: Stamina +20, Strength +5
For about 8 hours: Stamina +35, Strength +8
“Rice is a tonic?”
It’s like a buff item.
It’s making the “Koreans live on rice” saying a reality.
[Exactly! Use my rice anytime!]
Feeling energized, I thought about punching…
But I didn’t.
I can control it, but there’s some trauma.
“Phew.”
The rice’s flavor hit me so hard I’m seriously considering a rice business.
“But rice isn’t that profitable, and I can’t sell it at the price of a bowl. Maybe kimbap portions?”
It might only taste good to me, so I need to verify.
The rice cooker isn’t for a family of four—it’s small, so it runs out after a few scoops.
Realistically, it won’t work, but the taste is so moving.
“Can you cook rice faster?”
[As I said, you have to wait patiently…]
“So, you can or can’t? I might want to eat rice quickly.”
[If you want it that way, it’s not impossible to raise skills and stats in that direction!]
“How do you raise your skills? Do I just touch this?”
I touched RiceCookerMan.
The power button.
“Off, off?”
Oh?
It just turned off.
I nodded.
RiceCookerMan’s a lively guy,
But it feels like my privacy is slightly invaded.
I don’t want to be cautious of a talking rice cooker in my own home, you know?
I pressed the power button, and RiceCookerMan started again.
[Thank you for coming back to me!]
“So, for skills, do I just tell you?”
[Yes, if you think my level has gone up, let me know. I’ll kindly advise and work on raising it in that direction!]
“Hey, can I use this rice as fertilizer?”
[My purpose was probably to sprout a fairy princess. It’s fine!]
My stomach’s full, so eating a few rice balls clean feels a bit much.
I’ll turn the leftover rice into fried rice to see if the cooking effect gets boosted.
[Very good fertilizer +10]
When I put RiceCookerMan’s rice in, it gives high points.
It wasn’t just delicious to me.
Though it’s equivalent to saying “I love you” once,
It’s convenient since “I love you” shows up numerically.
If it was like a girlfriend where “how much you love” can’t be quantified, I’d be racking my brain.
“Huh?”
A tiny sprout pokes out of the pot in front of me.
It grows as much as I give, so it feels good.
Is this the joy of raising plants?
The sprout’s small, but it feels like I can grow it more, so I said one more thing.
“Uh, I love you.”
As I said it, the sprout popped up, displaying a status window with “♥” above its head.
“Hey, whoa? Did you see that?”
The tiny dicotyledon, like it had arms, started waving and dancing.
“Hey! Look at this! It’s dancing!”
[You’re hitting my lid too much!]
“It’s dancing! Wow, hahaha!”
Its name changed too.
From Fairy Sprout to Fairy Dicotyledon Plant.
***
‘It’s dancing! Wow, hahaha!’
The newlywed teacher next to me was watching a video of a kid hit by a stone dancing to the Baby Shark song.
I didn’t get why,
But now I’m endlessly watching a video of my fairy dicotyledon plant dancing.