Chapter 73: Chocolate and Silver Hair

Seong Ryuha quietly watched Han Seoryeon.

“Beautiful.”

The 18th Layer—a scorching realm where the sandstorms never cease.

Han Seoryeon, fresh from battle, looked a bit disheveled, her suit dusted with sand.

Yet, as everyone acknowledged, she carried an aura that was uniquely her own.

Even when standing close, Han Seoryeon always seemed distant, her pale, translucent skin and long lashes giving off an air that was hard to approach.

Ever since her Awakening, the mysterious sheen of her silver hair had become even more striking.

It felt as if the temperature around her was five degrees lower.

And, thanks to her Gift, perhaps that was literally true—she was always hard to approach.

Whether Han Seoryeon realized Seong Ryuha was watching or not, she suddenly started rummaging through her backpack.

What she took out was chocolate.

Peeling back the silver wrapper, Han Seoryeon popped the chocolate into her mouth and chewed absentmindedly.

Then, wrinkling her delicate brow, she tucked the still plentiful chocolate back into her backpack.

“What’s that…? Is it a new kind of Energy Bar?”

Seong Ryuha had no idea what Han Seoryeon was holding.

Unable to figure out what it was, she gave up and glanced at Han Seoryeon’s face again.

Han Seoryeon was looking right back at her.

“Ah…”

She’d been caught staring.

If she acted flustered now, she’d really seem like a weirdo.

So Seong Ryuha decided to be bold instead.

“Ah, hello.”

They’d just fought side by side, so why was she acting like they’d never met?

Seong Ryuha immediately regretted her awkward greeting.

She thought Han Seoryeon might just ignore her.

After all, Han Seoryeon barely interacted with others, even among fellow Moon Expedition explorers.

But Han Seoryeon acknowledged Seong Ryuha’s greeting.

All she did was give a polite bow of her head, but that was enough.

Seong Ryuha summoned her courage and approached Han Seoryeon.

“You really worked hard out there, Seoryeon-nim.”

“It was nothing.”

Han Seoryeon’s tone was cold and curt.

But after spending a fair amount of time with her, Seong Ryuha knew this was a friendly response, in Han Seoryeon’s way.

“If you hadn’t frozen the King Turtle’s leg earlier, a lot more people might have died, you know.”

“Do you think so…”

“You’ll probably be promoted to S-rank soon, right?”

Even at the mention of an S-grade Promotion, Han Seoryeon didn’t smile.

Well, it made sense. She not only had an outstanding Gift, but her battle sense was extraordinary.

Even if not now, it was certain she would be promoted to Fifth-class sooner or later.

“But, what was that thing?”

Seong Ryuha couldn’t help but ask, curiosity piqued.

“What do you mean?”

“That black thing you ate just now. Didn’t you eat it?”

“Ah. Yes, it’s… chocolate.”

Han Seoryeon looked slightly sheepish as she said it.

For a moment, Seong Ryuha wondered if Han Seoryeon was embarrassed.

Han Seoryeon quietly took out the chocolate and showed it to her.

It was a domestic chocolate bar that used to cost about 1,500 won each.

That’s when Seong Ryuha realized what it was.

“Ah, right! Chocolate. Wow, I’ve only seen those in movies.”

“My grandfather gave it to me…”

“Ah, the famous… As expected of you, Seoryeon-nim.”

“Would you like to try it?”

Seong Ryuha could hardly contain her delight.

Han Seoryeon watched her for a moment, then peeled off the foil and broke off a piece of chocolate.

Seong Ryuha gratefully accepted the piece.

“It’s my first time eating something other than an Energy Bar.”

For anyone not as special as Han Seoryeon, that was true.

Seong Ryuha felt a little thrill as she put the chocolate in her mouth.

At first it was a little bitter, but the sweetness spread through her mouth in an instant.

Unlike the bland, artificial sweetness of an Energy Bar, this was an explosively rich flavor.

Seong Ryuha’s eyes grew wide as saucers.

“Wow! It’s delicious!”

She’d eaten plenty of high-end Energy Bars and called them “tasty”—but this was the first time in her twenty-six years she’d tasted something truly “delicious.”

“Is that so?”

Han Seoryeon’s eyes softened.

What Seong Ryuha didn’t know was that Han Seoryeon had tasted Yuseong’s chocolate bonbons before.

Ever since then, she hadn’t been able to forget that flavor and was now trying other chocolates.

Usually quick to pick up on things, Seong Ryuha was too distracted by the taste of the chocolate to notice.

“Mm, how can it be… wow…”

Even after swallowing, the sweetness lingered in her mouth.

As Seong Ryuha savored the taste, Han Seoryeon handed over the rest of the chocolate without hesitation.

“Can I really have this?”

“Yes, unni.”

“…….!”

Seong Ryuha closed her mouth, eyes shining in surprise.

Han Seoryeon wondered if Seong Ryuha was just deeply moved by the chocolate.

“Unni, huh…”

But contrary to Han Seoryeon’s expectation, the reason for Seong Ryuha’s emotion wasn’t the chocolate.

It was simply that, instead of the usual “Guild Master” or “Ryuha-nim,” Han Seoryeon had called her “unni” for the first time.

“Thank you. Hehe. Rest up a bit—will I see you again at the next raid?”

“………. I don’t think so, next time.”

Han Seoryeon suddenly announced she’d be taking a break.

“It’s almost time for the semester to start…”

“Ah…”

Seong Ryuha then remembered that Han Seoryeon was a university sophomore.

Though she didn’t attend regularly, she always took a break when the semester began.

Just then, a voice called from behind the still-distracted Seong Ryuha.

“Ryuha Master, there you are.”

Seong Ryuha jumped and turned around.

“Oh, Igunit-nim.”

“That’s right, haha, call me Igunit.”

Standing behind her was a man in his thirties with fiery red hair.

He was a Fifth-class explorer who always insisted on being called by his alias, not his real name, Gong Duman.

Igunit had placed second in contribution for this raid.

With his Gift of incineration, he had burst five of the massive King Turtle’s eyeballs.

“So, you two were having a nice chat. Hahaha.”

“What brings you here?”

“I’ve got a favor to ask of Lady Han Seoryeon.”

Han Seoryeon tilted her head slightly.

“Do you remember the Salt Desert on the 16th Layer?”

“Yes.”

The 16th Layer marked the true start of the Desert Zone.

She certainly remembered the mountains of salt scattered throughout the vast Layer.

“And you recall that Red Salt Mountain that nearly knocked all my brothers out cold?”

Han Seoryeon nodded.

“I was fine, but that salt mine nearly cooked my boys alive. I can’t stop wondering what’s inside.”

Back when they were pioneering the 16th Layer.

They’d come across the Red Salt Mountain.

A desert is supposed to be hot, but that place was abnormal.

The backpacks of the Fire Brothers had caught fire during the expedition, and even those with heat or fire Gifts had collapsed.

Igunit—Gong Duman—had to grit his teeth and carry his brothers out on his back.

Now that the crucial 18th Layer was cleared, he intended to go back and try again.

“Can you keep these water pouches cold for me? Just for about ten days. There’s no point going alone—I want to rest a few days and then take my brothers back.”

True to his nickname as the Fire Man, Igunit was determined to lead his brothers to explore that Red Salt Mountain again.

And for that, he needed the help of Han Seoryeon, who could control cold.

“Alright.”

It was a simple task, so Han Seoryeon placed her hand on the water pouches Igunit had brought.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch.

Frost formed on the water-filled Camelbaks.

Unless they were intentionally heated, the water pouches would stay cold for quite a while.

“Ten days is the limit.”

“Whoa! Thanks! The Fire Brothers won’t forget this!”

“It’s fine.”

“There’s gotta be some incredible treasure in there. We’ll make sure Lady Seoryeon gets a share, too!”

Igunit grinned broadly, overjoyed.

Seong Ryuha watched with a wry smile.

Would cold water pouches really be enough to get through that inferno?

At the very least, as long as Igunit wasn’t alone, some of his group would surely drop out.

And once that happened, Igunit would abandon the expedition and haul his brothers back.

“Wishing you success in your exploration.”

Still, Seong Ryuha just smiled and let it go.

It wasn’t her concern.

***

Yuseong became a member of the Council.

That meant he now had access to the Favus Hotel’s Frozen Storage.

Thanks to Han Seoryeon’s Gift, the freshness of the ingredients was unbelievably well-preserved.

Naturally, Yuseong’s heart soared when he entered the storage packed with fresh ingredients.

Leftover Serpent meat, eggs, a few pineapples, some Metal Pig pork belly.

Even cheese and butter made from Holstein King milk.

Yuseong stored these treasures in his allotted section.

From now on, any precious ingredients he acquired would be kept in this hotel’s storage.

For several days, Yuseong visited the Favus Hotel.

He wasn’t just checking on his supplies.

It was all to prepare for the next Layer.

“Hyung, don’t look so glum…”

“Damn it, what a waste!”

Yuseong, who usually cooked with a smile, now scowled.

“The next Layer is the Desert Zone, so I can’t live off the land…”

That was what annoyed Yuseong.

The upcoming Layers would all be desert.

What set Yuseong far ahead of other explorers was his ability to survive off the land.

He didn’t need to carry Energy Bars—he could hunt and eat monsters in real time, speeding up their progress.

But in the desert, that was tough.

Not that there was nothing to eat, but compared to the Jungle Zone, it was practically barren.

“Still, it looks tasty… siiip”

“Keep your hands off unless you want your fingers broken.”

When Yuseong scowled, Jang Dojin sheepishly backed away.

In front of Yuseong was pork jerky glistening with fat.

Bak kwa.

“I made it for preservation. I’ll ration it during this expedition.”

That’s why Yuseong had made jerky.

Beef, chicken, pork, even crocodile and kangaroo.

The ingredients and methods for jerky were endless.

But beef was too valuable to turn into jerky, and chicken was much the same.

So it was best to use the monsters they’d caught.

All the Jawrus meat had been used up, so that left Metal Pig.

Yuseong had personally descended back to the 10th Layer to catch a Metal Pig.

Unlike the tough, dry, Western-style beef jerky—which takes time to dry and isn’t very flavorful—

Bak kwa, famous in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Marketed in Korea under the name “Bichunhyang,” this pork jerky is broiled during preparation, making for a tender texture.

You take a lean cut of meat and chop it finely.

Season with soy sauce, fish sauce, green essence, sweet syrup, honey, rice wine, fine pepper, and black pepper, and mix thoroughly.

Once it’s been marinated cold, you sandwich the meat between two sheets of paper and roll it flat.

Then, you broil and dry it in an oven.

After one round of broiling on both sides, you brush on a little honey and skim off the fat.

Repeat this process, and you end up with authentic pork jerky.

Compared to tough beef jerky, it’s a bit less shelf-stable, but the taste is on another level.

Yuseong cut the finished bak kwa into palm-sized pieces and packed them neatly.

With this amount, getting through the desert shouldn’t be a problem.

“Did you bring a Heat-Resistant Backpack?”

Yuseong asked Jang Dojin.

“Yeah, I swung by CH Tower and got it from the Researcher.”

Jang Dojin held up a newly issued backpack.

Woven from heat-resistant Aramid Fiber, with another layer of heat-resistant coating applied.

Even if you threw it into a bonfire, its contents would be safe for quite some time.

Of course, making these cost a lot, too.

Yuseong packed the jerky into the backpack.

Jang Dojin, curiosity getting the better of him, asked,

“Did you really need to go all out with the heat protection? It’s not like the desert’s a sea of fire.”

He had a point.

The heat protection on the backpack wasn’t just for the heat.

Desert or not, the Jungle Zone could get pretty hot, too.

But the Aramid heat coating was really more for industrial use.

“It’s not exactly a sea of fire.”

“Right?”

“But we are going somewhere like a sea of fire. It’s red, too.”

“…Huh?”

Jang Dojin shivered for no reason.

Yuseong was smiling with anticipation.

It was the kind of look he only had when something was either very dangerous or very delicious.

“We’re heading to the best salt mine.”

With that, Yuseong declared their next destination.