Chapter 1426: Side Story 35
Chapter 1426 - Side Story 35
After leaving Erlev’s side, Minhyuk met with Pallan, the biggest and bulkiest guy in the entire village.
“Slice these onions. I hold the record for being the fastest onion chopper. I can slice an entire cluster of onions in just three minutes. If you can’t slice these onions within five minutes, then I will definitely kick you in the butt!”
After two minutes.
“I’m done slicing them. Then, does that mean that I can kick your butt now?”
Pallan was both flustered and embarrassed. He said, “It’s not just about the speed of slicing and chopping the ingredients! You have to slice them neatly and evenly too…”
He faltered when he checked the gap between the onions that Minhyuk sliced. This was because the interval between each slice of onion was the same.
“It’s not just about the speed and precision when preparing the ingredients. You have to make it look appealing when presenting it to others, too…”
“Huh? Don’t hold your knife like that.”
“Yes?” Pallan stammered, looking completely flustered. The man suddenly tried to teach him. For some strange reason, Pallan was obediently following his teachings.
“What do you think? It’s easier to slice and cut ingredients if you do it like this, right?”
“Oh… Oooooh! It’s true! I’m really cutting better!”
Minhyuk even taught Pallan how to cut the ingredients more effectively, plate them, and present them well.
[You have done a great job in completing the task that Pallan has asked you to do.]
[The ingredients that you prepare will be 3% fresher.]
[You have gained 10 DEX.]
Then, he met Eden, who was in charge of teaching others how to dig ingredients without inflicting any damage. The moment he met Eden, the man slammed his hoe on the ground and said, “When digging for ingredients, you have to make sure that there is no damage…”
“Ohhh? That’s not how you dig.”
“What? You impudent bastard!”
Minhyuk grabbed Eden’s wrist. Then, he guided him with his own hands. The moment his hoe landed…
‘Huh? The damage rate is much lower than usual?’
“Was it like this?”
“That’s right! Good job!”
“Keuhahahahaha! Did I do well?!”
“Yep. You did well!”
Eden unknowingly got tricked by Minhyuk’s maneuver. However, he was still able to come back to his senses. He shouted, “NO! You’re the one who’s supposed to learn from me! Now, now. Stop teaching me! Just dig!”
Thud, thud, thud!
Minhyuk moved excitedly, his hoe digging the ingredients one after another.
[Your damage rate is 0%.]
[No one can harvest and dig for ingredients better than this.]
“Do you want me to teach you?”
Eden looked at him incredulously. He was this village’s guide. He was a teacher! He was not someone who needed teaching.
‘I also have my pride and dignity!’
“Well… I’d appreciate it if you teach me.”
That was why he decided not to use any honorifics or speak politely.
[You have done a great job in completing the task that Eden has asked you to do.]
[The effects of the ingredients that you harvested will be 0.8% better.]
Minhyuk continued to meet with one guide after another.
“Do you want to know how to make your dishes more delicious than before?!”
Not long after, Berrado tasted the dish that Minhyuk cooked for him.
“No! This flavor…!”
Berrado, who had unknowingly shed tears, knelt and said, “Please! Please teach me how to make dishes more flavorful and more delicious!”
“Well, you should start by eating at least 485 meals a day.”
“Oh… Ooooooh!”
[You have done a great job in completing the task that Berrado has asked you to do.]
[You have acquired Berrado’s MSG.]
Kesson, the ingredient procurement specialist, said, “Can I call you hyung from now on?”
[You have done a great job in completing the task that Kesson has asked you to do.]
[When purchasing ingredients, you will be able to buy them 1% cheaper than the set price.]
‘Now, there’s only one left.’
The only one left was Barlan, the old man who had screamed at Minhyuk.
***
Barlan had gone out to fish. Only after he came back after fishing for a few days did he remember the arrogant and cheeky foreigner who had arrived before.
‘He said that he has no shortcomings?’
Recalling the young man’s words alone was enough to make his blood boil in anger. Did he think that he had reached the peak of cooking? How dare he say those words?!
At that moment, a thick smile appeared on Barlan’s face. He murmured, “He must have been scolded fiercely by now.”
The guides must have been as angry as he was back then. There was no doubt that the young man would be scolded.
Then, Barlan bumped into Erlev. He asked, “Erlev, did you give the rookie from before a hard time? How did it go? He’s a fool who doesn’t know anything, right?”
But Erlev’s reaction was strange. His face grew bright red as he shouted, “What nonsense! Our dear Minhyuk is an amazing person! Grandpa Barlan, don’t say such words ever again!”
“Eh?” Barlan stared at him in confusion.
‘Did this guy eat something wrong today? Ah!’
Barlan thought that Erlev had eaten the dish that the young man had made and had gone mad. But when he bumped into the others…
“Please don’t insult my master.”
“He’s not arrogant and cheeky. He truly does not lack anything! He doesn’t have any shortcomings!”
“Don’t curse my hyung!”
Barlan finally heard everything from the other guides.
‘What? He taught them instead?’
It was both shocking and ridiculous. They were the guides. Weren’t they the ones who were supposed to teach and guide the chefs who were lacking something despite already reaching Level 400?
Erlev even approached him and apologized. “Grandpa, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier.”
Barlan grew even more curious about what happened while he was away. He wondered how the man was able to coax all of them and turn them into this.
“What did he even do? Why did you get so mad at me when I badmouthed him?”
Erlev was a courteous man. At least that was the case when he was with Barlan. So, he carefully explained what happened.
“He helped make you a God-grade dish? The goal that you wanted to achieve at least once in your life?”
It sounded unreal. Was it even possible? Could someone truly help someone else make a dish that went beyond the grade that they could usually make?
‘If that’s the case… then what if…?’
A strange glint flashed in Old Man Barlan’s eyes.
***
“I will tell you how to hunt for more delicious ingredients.”
All of the guides had their fields of interest. Erlev was supposed to help those who couldn’t make an Epic-grade dish. Pallan was supposed to teach those who relied solely on their skills the way to prepare and cut ingredients. This was supposed to help them, especially if they found themselves in a situation where a skill could not be activated. Every single one of them had their responsibilities and duties set.
Most chefs would choose to purchase their cooking ingredients. But Old Man Barlan was different. He taught others how to hunt for ingredients themselves, especially those who could not afford to buy them or those who were in a situation where they could not purchase the ingredient they needed. In other words, he was someone who taught chefs how to fight.
Barlan did not want to use Minhyuk. Regardless, he had already decided long ago to be honest with him. He said, “There’s an existence called the Gourmet Lion Dragon in this land.”
It was a monster with the head of a lion and the body of a dragon.
“These beings feast on chefs.”
“Chefs?” Minhyuk grew curious.
“They don’t just eat any chef. They only eat chefs who have reached a certain level. From what I know, they only eat chefs who have made at least ten Legendary-grade dishes or a chef who has made at least one God-grade dish. Or a chef who possessed the power of a master craftsman. Those beings would choose those chefs and eat them. Not long ago, they ate more than 10,000 people.”
“Ten thousand people?”
“That’s right. The most powerful among the Gourmet Lion Dragons ate five thousand people by itself. The continent had reached a consensus. They decided to hunt it.”
Minhyuk asked, “How did it eat five thousand chefs?”
“That Gourmet Lion Dragon lives at sea. But every once in a while, it would sneak into the land to eat. Once it had its fill, it would return home. That bastard’s tail possesses a special power that allows it to locate and chase after special chefs.” Barlan laughed dryly.
“Rumor has it that even though the Gourmet Lion Dragons eat chefs, they are terrified of chefs who have reached a very high level. But I have never seen it happen even once in my life.”
Minhyuk nodded. He could tell that this was the most crucial part of this story.
“Why did you tell me this story?”
The story about the Gourmet Lion Dragons was information that Minhyuk did not need to know.
“Well, you seem to be a better chef than I thought you were.”
Barlan might have accepted the fact that Minhyuk was not the rookie that they thought he was before. Regardless, Barlan still found Minhyuk arrogant and cheeky. No one should ever say that they lacked nothing or had no shortcomings. That was way too reckless and arrogant.
‘I’m a bit unlucky but…’
“My one and only daughter was eaten by that bastard, the strongest of the Gourmet Lion Dragons. They always come on land sneakily to devour the chefs before disappearing. But if a chef with outstanding power and talent goes out to sea, then they will be able to attract their attention and drag them out in the open. We don’t know where they sleep or live at sea exactly. So, the only ones who can drag them out are the excellent chefs.”
“So, you want me to become your bait?” Minhyuk frowned. This was a little different from the quest that he received earlier. “If you used me as bait and I died, will you take responsibility and compensate me?”
“You’re not going to die,” Barlan said, a grim look on his face. “I’m the only one who will die. If you ever judge that the situation is dangerous, you can just tear this parchment on the spot, and you will be teleported away.”
Then, Barlan showed the bottle of potion containing poison in his hands.
“My force and energy are not good enough to tempt those bastards from the depths of the sea. But I believe you can drag them out in the open. Once you lure them out, I’ll change places with you and step forward. If I drink this, my energy will shoot up, and they will eat me instead.”
Minhyuk finally understood what Barlan intended to do. He said, “You plan to drink this poison and get yourself eaten. That way, the Gourmet Lion Dragon will also be poisoned? Then, the soldiers of the continent will step forward and kill it?”
Minhyuk shook his head. Humans always had a story of their own to tell. Minhyuk might be kind, but he was no pushover. He was not the type of person who would participate in anything and everything just because the story sounded moving. Besides, this old man had cursed and badmouthed him before, no?
“What do I get from this?”
“I’ll give you the Black Pork Samgyeopsal and the location of a precious ingredient that only I know of. That ingredient is a very precious and rare ingredient on this continent.”
“...?!”
Minhyuk needed that precious and rare ingredient for Philos!
“Alright. I’m in.”
***
Around a thousand knights from the Grania Continent’s kingdoms gathered at the beach. The fact that an old man chose to sacrifice himself and use his death to clear up the trouble that was plaguing them was something that they welcomed.
The knight of the Kingdom of Valros, Kaden, said, “But don’t you think it’s strange? That guy ate five thousand people. But after eating that many, it did not show up and did not eat anyone anymore. What if that guy does not show up now?”
Barlan shook his head. “Now that the bastard had eaten five thousand chefs, its palate had grown even more picky. It likely wants to eat a more precious and special chef.”
Rumble!
At that moment, a whirlpool appeared at sea.
“As expected. It’s here. Once the bastard shows up…”
Rumble!
But not long after, Commander Kaden could only stare in shock and disbelief.
“What?”
It was because the signs that he was seeing now were much more unusual than the signs in the past. The whirlpool was around four times larger than before. But that was not all. There were around three hundred or so smaller whirlpools surrounding the large one.
“What the hell?!”
“The Gourmet Lion Dragons are appearing all at once?!”
“No way! Are you saying that his energy has spread throughout the sea?!”
The knights were left in a panic. Meanwhile, Minhyuk stood in front of them while listening to the notifications ringing in his ears.
[The Gourmet Lion Dragons can feel the energy of an excellent chef.]
[All of the Gourmet Lion Dragons at sea have gathered.]
[Gourmet Lion Dragon. Level 677.]
“Kihyeeeeeeeeck!”
“Kyahaaaaaack!”
“Kiheeeeeeeck!”
Finally, the being that they had been waiting for had appeared. It stepped out of the largest whirlpool in the sea.
[The Black Gourmet Lion Dragon has appeared!]
[Black Gourmet Lion Dragon. Level 869.]
Chaos fell upon the troops.
“Black…? Black Gourmet Lion Dragon?”
At that moment, the knights finally understood the situation.
“Did it evolve after eating five thousand people?!”
Alas, that was not their only problem. The biggest and most pressing issue was the hundreds of Gourmet Lion Dragons that appeared alongside it.
“Kihyeeeeeeeeck!”
“Kyahaaaaaack!”
“Kiheeeeeeeck!”
Barlan’s face grew pale. He shouted, “Quick! Tear the return scroll!”
He could not let Minhyuk die here. He and the knights were tasked to kill the Gourmet Lion Dragon. But that did not apply to Minhyuk. This young man was just someone he had asked for help. He could not implicate him in this matter.
But Minhyuk did not move at all. It seemed like he had been paralyzed from fear.
“Kihyeeeeeeeeck!”
The Black Gourmet Lion Dragon pushed the other Gourmet Lion Dragons away as it charged toward the very front of the pack. It lowered its black lion head and opened its huge mouth as if it wanted to eat Minhyuk with one single bite.
Barlan hurriedly rushed out. He stood in front of Minhyuk and said, “H… Hurry! Come on! Tear the parchment now! QUICK!!!”
After shouting, Barlan realized that it was already far too late. Minhyuk was far too scared and couldn’t do anything…
‘Huh…?’
No. Minhyuk was not scared. He was, in fact, smiling confidently. The arrogant and cheeky expression on his face was similar to the expression that he showed them when he first stepped onto this continent and told them that he had no shortcomings.
‘He wasn’t scared?’
Minhyuk looked at Barlan and said, “Didn’t you ask me before?”
‘What? Ah!’
Barlan remembered shouting, ‘What?! Are you some kind of Pillar?! The kind who has reached the peak of cooking?!’ Indeed. He said those words.
Minhyuk stared at the Black Gourmet Lion Dragon that had already approached him.
“You also told me that the Gourmet Lion Dragon cannot eat an extremely high-level chef.”
It was said that it could not eat a chef who was far too outstanding. Minhyuk continued to stare at the Black Gourmet Lion Dragon.
“Hey!”
Flinch!
The Black Gourmet Lion Dragon’s pupils suddenly dilated.
“You. Do you think you can eat me?”
With just one question…
“Kihyeeeeeeeeck!”
“Kiiiiiiiiiiiik!”
“Kiheeeeeeeeeck!”
[The Black Gourmet Lion Dragon has realized that the chef in front of it is someone whom it could not dare to eat.]
[The Gourmet Lion Dragons are trembling in terror!]