Elisabeth was the first to speak since she was acquainted with one of the Schreiber clanâs hunters.
âIf you have a complaint, why donât you go somewhere else?â
âOh. Gutierrez. So the Icarus clan is the other team thatâs made a reservation.â
The Schreiber clan was pleased to see the Icarus clan hunters. No, they were glad to see Choi Yeonseung. They got up, stood in front of Choi Yeonseung, and started shaking his hand one by one.
â...What is this? A fan meeting?â Elisabeth thought to herself, watching from the side.
âThank you so much for last time.â
âItâs no big deal.â
They should have gone back to their seats after shaking hands, but the hunters hesitated.
â... The food you prepared was really good.â
"Iâm glad to hear that.â
âCan you tell me how it was cooked? It didnât taste the same when I tried it...â
âWhat are you doing?â Elisabeth exclaimed, dumbfounded. What were they doing in the middle of someone elseâs restaurant? Although there were only two teams here, they were still being a nuisance. The Schreiber clan members coughed and backed off, seemingly embarrassed.
âThese people, rude? Ru..de people? Right?â Illeya asked Choi Yeonseung as if she was curious.
âIâm not sure, but you might be right.â
Hearing the conversation between the two, the Schreiber clan hunters hurriedly came up with an excuse.
âThat isnât it. Donât get us wrong, Choi Yeonseung.â
âBut didnât you just complain to Hunter George?â
âTh-thatâs...â
â? â
â... I was asking them to replicate the taste of the food Choi Yeonseung had given me.â
â......â
For a moment, the surroundings became quiet. The Icarus clan hunters stared as if they were dumbfounded. No matter how great Choi Yeonseungâs cooking was, it couldnât be greater than the cooking of the chefs here. The food in the virtual dungeon was really good, but...
âEh?â
âWait. Come to think of it, I think his cooking tasted better?â
âWhat?â
The hunters were taken aback, having concluded that Choi Yeonseungâs cooking tasted better after carefully thinking about it and comparing the taste. In the meantime, George Manuel, owner and chef of Hunter George, came out to the dining area. They had an open kitchen, so he could hear all the conversations.
âHunter Choi Yeonseung.â
âYes?â
âIâm really sorry for asking this favor from a customer, but... can you teach me?â
â... Huh? â
He was here to learn?
***
âWhat am I doing?â
Choi Yeonseung looked around with a puzzled expression. He was supposed to be sitting in the dining area, but he was standing behind a counter instead. Next to him were amazing chefs staring at his every action with shining eyes!
âNo... Iâm not a chef.â
The Schreiber clan hunters were the ones to respond to Choi Yeonseungâs words first.
âNo! Choi Yeonseung. Be confident!â
âYouâre already more than good enough to be one!â
The Icarus clan hunters were stunned. These guys were crazy as a group!
âAre you acting that way because youâre afraid I wonât cook?â Choi Yeonseung asked just in case.
â......â
â......â
The hunters shut up the moment he hit the nail right on its head. They were indeed afraid that Choi Yeonseung would leave.
âHunter Choi Yeonseung. Please.â
George, who was next to him, looked at Choi Yeonseung with a pleading expression.
âI never thought an opportunity like this would come.â
Choi Yeonseung wasnât aware of it, but George had seen Choi Yeonseung cooking monster meat in a video related to the recent raid.
-How did he do it? And without any equipment, tooâ¦
Thinking he would learn about it later if he got the chance, George didnât expect to get this opportunity! He was highly praised by various critics, Michelin included, but none of that mattered because he risked his life for cooking, not pride or reputation! His passion and enthusiasm reached Choi Yeonseung. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Choi Yeonseung was just as passionate about training, after all. People of the same type easily recognized each other. The problem was...
âCan I even teach it to him?â
George was a real chef, while Choi Yeonseung was a survival chef.
[The âCat of Lava and Magmaâ says not to worry. In terms of time spent cooking, the incarnation will have spent longer on it.]
â... That is true,â Choi Yeonseung agreed. Moreover, he was already here anyway.
âI watched all the videos of you cooking, but I couldnât figure out how you do it no matter how many times I replay them. Please teach me...â
â... Let me remind you beforehand that Iâm not a chef. Donât expect too much.â
âYes! I wonât look forward to it!â
âHeâs crazily looking forward to it...â
Choi Yeonseung sighed at the stares pouring in from around him. The Icarus clan hunters didnât try to stop it. Rather, they were excitedly taking photos.
-This is actually happening before our eyes, friend.
-Yes. I need to upload this.
-I came to eat Georgeâs cooking, not Choi Yeonseungâs cooking...
-Do you want to leave, then?
-Uhm. Thatâs not what I meant.
âNow. First, letâs talk?about meat. This one... Is it a minotaurâs?â
âYes. I bought the best quality meat right away.â
âMinotaur meat is good, isnât it?â
âI think so as well.â
A conversation that was only possible for those who were into cooking blossomed.
âItâs certainly delicious, but you canât just eat it like this. How do you prepare it?â
âI use one of my magic spells. Itâs called Osoâs Mana Condensation.â
Osoâs Mana Condensation was a spell that normally collected mana and shot it out like arrows or bullets.
George used this magic on the meat to soften it.
âAha. so thatâs why itâs called Magic Cooking?â
âYes.â
âI use a similar technique. I am a martial artist, though, so I use martial arts.â
Choi Yeonseung grabbed a big piece with both hands and started to inject internal energy into it. George was startled when the hard lump of meat instantly yet gently loosened. He wouldâve had to inject his magic power steadily into it for hours!
âA-Amazing!â
âWhatâs amazing about thatâ¦? Thatâs just a difference in skill. It isnât anything great.â
Choi Yeonseung picked up the knife next to him. It wasnât made out of orichalcum, but when Choi Yeonseung released his internal energy, the ordinary iron knife turned into an artifact-level masterpiece. Imbued with internal energy, the kitchen knife cut through the meat with intense sharpness.
â......!â
Since Choi Yeonseung had begun cooking, the people present had been unable to take their eyes off it, especially chef George and the assistant chefs working under him.
âWh-what is this?â
In truth, the assistant chefs had been staring at Choi Yeonseung with unfriendly eyes. George, their boss and teacher, would bow his head to a child if he could learn anything from it, but they couldnât stand him bowing to a chef they had never even heard of. It didnât matter that he was a hunter. Cooking was an entirely different arena.
....However, Choi Yeonseung was so great that such thoughts flew away.
âHe doesnât have any wasted movements!â
âThere is nothing glamorous or special about his cooking, but I canât take my eyes off itâ¦.â
Choi Yeonseung wasnât artful when it came to cooking. Fancy or special techniques werenât necessary when cooking to survive. All he had to do was repeat basic movements back then, and that was all he performed now. As a result, he magnetized the peopleâs eyes and drew attention despite the lack of a flashy performance.
None of them could breathe as they watched Choi Yeonseung cook. Various seasonings were sprinkled on top of the cut meat, which was then deeply marinated. Choi Yeonseung kneaded the meat, checked the temperature, and put oil on the frying pan.
âDo you use fire magic?â
âYes! To give it a distinctive scent...â
âI do that as well, but I use flames conjured through martial arts.â
Choi Yeonseung didnât even move, but flames shot up. The pan instantly heated up and let out sizzling sounds, which made the people, who were waiting, drool. Choi Yeonseung sniffed the aroma in the room. There were several special spices made by George that were placed next to him.
âWow. Amazing. Can I use them?â
âOf course. Use as much as you want.â
Various spices were sprinkled, and butter was added. Choi Yeonseung waited before taking off the meat. He cut it up and put it on a plate.
âLook. This is just the basics. Nothing special, right?â
âNo!
âNo! This is great!â
The Schreiber clan hunters started to applaud. Choi Yeonseung stared at them as if they were acting crazy.
âTheyâre right. This is amazing.â
Even the chef next to him spoke seriously.
âDonât you know this much?â
âKnowing about it is different from seeing it for myself.â
âAh. That is true.â
Choi Yeonseung, a martial artist, immediately understood what George meant. It took more effort to learn what he already knew in theory. It was the state of embodiment that came out naturally after the knowledge was absorbed into the body.
âI learned a lot. Thank you.â
[George Manuel is deeply impressed by your cooking skills and has started to admire you. The power your of existence has risen!]
[The other chefs...]
[The hunters...]
[Your Advanced Abyss Cooking skill has grown stronger!]
Choi Yeonseungâs cooking impressed everyone present. Meanwhile, Lane of the Schreiber clan tried to take the grilled steak in front of him.
âThis bastard is trying to eat the dish!â
âThis bastard!â
It wasnât just the Icarus clan. The hunters from his own clan started to curse him.
â... Iâll cook more, so donât be rude.â
Choi Yeonseung turned the hunters into gentle sheep and made them sit down again.
âAh. If that is the case, thenâ¦.â
âSigh. Blood suddenly rushed to my head and blinded me.â
âI almost unleashed magic.â
Once everyone had been served steaks, Choi Yeonseung came out of the kitchen.
George spoke to him with an apologetic expression. âIâm sorry. You came as a guest, but I made you cook. I donât know how to repay this favor...â
âYou just have to repay me in the same way.â
â?â
âIâm here to eat your dishes. Wonât you treat me?â
Georgeâs face brightened. â... I will reward you with the best dishes!â
The hunters here had rarely eaten Abyss dishes, so they coveted Choi Yeonseungâs dishes like they were beggars. However, it was nothing new to Choi Yeonseung. He was more interested in the different ways George cooked dishes.
âWow. Did you put fruit sauce on top of this trout? Thatâs interesting.â
âYes. If you puree the fruit and make it foam...â
âCan you tell me how?â
âOf course.â
Choi Yeonseung tasted dishes that seemed interesting and asked for recipes.
[Your âAdvanced Abyss Cookingâ skill now has more recipes available!]
[The âCat of Lava and Magmaâ says to cook a dish for it when you go back.]
***
âThatâs the gist of it.â
â... R-Right. That aside, Yeonseung, I asked about what happened in the dungeon.â
Hwang Gyeongryong looked at Choi Yeonseung, bewildered. When Choi Yeonseung returned, Hwang Gyeongryong called him to hear about what happened directly from him, but all he heard was a mouthwatering story. It was a very interesting story, at least. He knew that Choi Yeonseung was a constellation, but to think even the great?chef?Geoge Manuel actually wanted to learn from Choi Yeonseung?
âDidnât he used to eat chicken breast slush with grilled chicken breast... â
Hwang Gyeonryong couldnât believe it!
âBut he has been wandering around the Abyss alone for so long, so it is only natural for his cooking skills to improve.â
It made his heart ache when that thought came to mind.
âNothing happened in the dungeon. I fought an evil god constellationâs minion, but he wasnât that strongâ¦.â
â......â
Donât summarize it in three lines, dude!