Chapter 42: A Cup of Leisure (2) (42/225)
"Julien! Watch out!"
At Hayward's shout, Julien stopped the spell he was casting and took a step back.
Whooosh!
A frigid wind swept through, and the monsters charging toward Julien froze in place all at once.Their legs were locked together with the ice that now covered the floor.
Craid rushed toward them.
"Hah!"
With a fierce shout, Craid swung his greatsword in a wide arc, cleaving three monsters at once—each with the head of a boar and a body as large as a tiger's.The lingering afterimage of the aura clinging to his blade glowed brightly in the dark dungeon.
Wrapped in that light, his greatsword pierced the chest of another monster that rushed in from the side, driving straight through its back.
They're all the real deal. Craid didn't bring me along for nothing.
Jinseo had parked the scooter to the side and was watching the three of them fight from a distance.
Even if most of them are monsters with physical grades of D or lower, taking them down this easily isn't normal. That one's C-grade… and it still went down in a single swing.
Following Hayward's instruction that it was dangerous to act rashly, Jinseo moved cautiously.Nero, perched on his shoulder, also quietly observed the battle without intervening.
At first, Jinseo had intended to actively participate in hunting monsters himself.That changed the moment he read the message that appeared in the status window as soon as they entered the dungeon.
{ Warning! Due to the mana core installed in this area, physical grades are reduced. }{ The physical grade of Lee Jinseo, owner of the Mobile Cooking Facility, has been downgraded from A− to B+. }{ The abilities of companion Nero have temporarily decreased. }
After confirming through the status window that not only he and Nero, but also the other three had their physical grades reduced, Jinseo stayed quiet so as not to interfere.He was here as a cook, after all—to gather ingredients.
Ah, that monster floating in the air… those two got it.
A monster resembling a giant bat staggered after being hit by a throwing knife from Hayward, then was finished off when Julien's freezing spell struck home.
Even if my physical grade is high, fighting like that would be impossible for me.
Raw physical ability and combat proficiency were clearly two different things.Jinseo watched the three men's movements as intently as a spectator watching a martial arts broadcast on TV.
"Hey! Get those guys! They're running that way!"
Thud!Fwoosh.
"Ah… looks like I took care of them."
"Meow!"
That didn't mean he planned to keep his hands completely off the fight.A wolf-like monster sent flying by Jinseo's powerful right front kick slammed into the wall, limbs splayed.The remaining two were scorched black by the flames Nero breathed out, collapsing to the ground.
"Huh… wow. You really are strong. And that cat-like spirit too. Guess I don't need to tell you to be careful anymore."
Hayward put the throwing knife he had been about to toss back away and nodded.
"Still, it'd be better if you didn't step in unless you have to. Earlier looked like an unavoidable situation."
"You did well just now. If those things had escaped, they might've lured in other monsters. Though even then, that guy probably would've handled it."
Hayward jerked his right thumb over his shoulder toward Craid.
Whoosh.
Craid casually flicked his greatsword once, sending the monster blood clinging to the blade splattering against the wall.
Jason would've loved this if he were here.
Charging fearlessly into a pack of monsters with nothing but a greatsword—It was a sight no aspiring swordsman could resist.
"Is this the last room on this floor?"
"Seems like it. Then let's finish up the rest of the work. This one, that one… and that one's kind of iffy."
Having the most experience eating monster meat, Hayward sorted out what could be used as ingredients and what couldn't.However, he hesitated when it came to a plant-type monster mixed in among the other corpses.
"Ah, I'll handle this one myself."
Jinseo used his kitchen knife to cut off only the fruiting part and the roots of the monster, placing them into a large plastic bag.Since the AI had precisely indicated which parts were edible through the status window, he cut without hesitation.
"Huh? You're only taking that? Isn't that throwing away too much?"
"The other parts might be poisonous, so it's better not to use them."
"Really? I usually don't mess with plant-looking monsters at all, so I don't know much. Craid! Give me a hand!"
"Got it."
Craid lifted the monster corpses with one hand and piled them in front of the scooter.After sprinkling magical reagents over them to prevent spoilage, Jinseo stored them whole into the small subspace storage.
Seeing the massive corpses, Jinseo had wondered how they would all fit, but Craid solved the problem easily.The monster meat, chopped in half, then half again, and again by his greatsword, slid neatly into the subspace storage beneath the scooter's seat.
"That's everything."
"Then we'll stop here for today! Whew… I've run dungeons till I'm sick of them, but it still wears me out."
Hayward flopped down, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
"More than that, I'm starving. I can't take it anymore."
On previous dungeon runs, proper cooking had been difficult, so meals were nothing more than fuel to fill the stomach.But this time was different, and the three of them looked to Jinseo with expectation.
"Bunsik is… probably impossible, right?"
Hayward asked, trying not to look too hopeful.
"It's possible, but I can't really put in the same level of care as I did with the food truck."
"Still, judging by your expression, you're confident, right?"
"I hope you'll like it."
After finishing the conversation, Jinseo lifted the scooter's seat he had closed earlier.As he began taking out instant foods from the small subspace storage, he glanced around.
This place is basically soaked in blood… is it really okay to eat here?
If this had been Korea, he would've run away immediately, but strangely, he didn't feel disgusted or afraid.
Maybe the status abnormality immunity protects mental states too? For them, this must be routine…
Fwoosh.
As if reading his thoughts, Nero incinerated the monster blood soaking the room, clearing it away in an instant.The two men aside from Craid looked toward Nero in surprise, and Jinseo gently patted Nero's head.
"Thanks, Nero."
Jinseo spread a mat on the dungeon floor and placed the food on top.Hayward picked up a strangely shaped container he had never seen before.
It was much lighter than expected. When he shook it, he heard something inside.
"What's this? It's not bunsik, right?"
"I mentioned earlier that making bunsik would be difficult under the circumstances."
During the transformation into scooter form, only the small subspace storage in the driver's seat could be used.While smaller than the main storage, it was by no means tiny.However, it lacked time-stopping functionality, making it unsuitable for storing fresh ingredients.
In the end, most of the food they brought had to be instant meals that could be eaten without complicated preparation.
"It's cup ramen."
Jinseo peeled back the lid, tore open the seasoning packets, and sprinkled them inside.Then he took the kettle mounted beside the scooter and poured in the boiling water.
"Cup ramen? Is it similar to the ramen bunsik we ate in the food truck?"
"Wait about three minutes, then eat it like ramen."
"Three minutes?"
"I'll tell you when. It won't take long, so don't worry."
Hayward wedged the wooden chopsticks Jinseo handed him between his nose and upper lip, staring down at the cup ramen as it cooked.His patience ran out in less than a minute.
"Isn't this enough now?"
As Hayward reached for the lid, Jinseo stopped him with an outstretched hand.
"You need to wait longer."
"Longer?"
"It's only been one minute. Please wait a bit more."
"Grrr…"
Hayward fidgeted anxiously, shaking his leg as he sat on the floor.But the golden rule of cup ramen was three minutes.Break it, and you ended up with undercooked or soggy noodles.
Jinseo waited exactly three minutes using his smartphone's timer before opening the lid.
"It's ready. Stir well before eating. Be careful—it's hot."
He didn't forget the final warning, knowing they'd probably wolf it down.
"Oh, this is pretty—"
After slurping up a mouthful of noodles, Hayward looked back and forth at his companions.
"It's good, right? It's not as flavorful as the ramen from the food truck, but it's good in its own way."
"It has a unique taste that's different from regular ramen."
"And it's so convenient. Just pour in hot water and wait. No need to prepare bowls. I've never seen food this convenient that also tastes good."
Slurp.
While the two discussed cup ramen, Craid quietly focused on eating.After finishing his fourth cup, he picked up a fifth without pause.He timed it perfectly, eating one after another in exact three-minute intervals.
"Wait, isn't Craid's cup ramen different from ours?"
"Ah, that's sesame-flavored cup ramen. There's a bagged version too, but strangely, the cup version tastes better."
On his way to meet his companions, Craid had sampled many kinds of cup ramen.The sesame-flavored one he was eating now was his favorite.
"Can I get one of those?"
"Me too!"
As the nutty aroma of the sesame ramen spread, the other two struggled to resist their renewed appetites.
"Just looking at the packaging makes me feel safe. It's not spicy, right?"
Even after only one bunsik meal, the two had learned a rule with their bodies.Any food Jinseo served that was covered in red was almost guaranteed to torture their tongues with spiciness.
The yellow container of the cup ramen, on the other hand, felt like proof it was safe to eat without fear.
"Are you sure? That one's surprisingly spicy."
"Huh, really?"
"Ha… we almost fell for it."
They immediately abandoned their desire for the sesame ramen and scraped up the remaining toppings from their broth with forks.
"By the way, don't drink all the soup. Leave it. You'll need it."
Unfortunately, there was no way to store leftover rice.Instead, Jinseo heated instant rice and served it with kimchi and pickled radish.
"Mmm! Eating it like this fills in what was missing somehow. But like I felt at lunch too, this bright red vegetable isn't really for me."
"For me, this sour yellow one doesn't quite suit my taste."
Contrary to expectations, the picky-looking Julien ate the kimchi without issue.
As the three finished their meal, Jinseo took out paper cups.Having made do with cup ramen, dessert was in order.
As Jinseo began pouring something into the cups, Hayward leaned in over his shoulder.
"Oh! What is it this time?"
"Mix coffee."
"Mix coffee?"
"There's a drink called coffee. This is a simplified version you can drink easily. Give it a try."
Jinseo handed each of them a cup of mix coffee.Though they had liked everything Jinseo served so far, this time they hesitated.The coffee looked like muddy water in the paper cups.
"It smells good, though."
Hayward was the first to take on the unknown drink.
"Oh! This is good!"
He licked his lips, blew on the steam, and took another sip.
"Hm… I didn't expect the balance between sweetness and bitterness to be this good. It's warm too—makes me feel relaxed."
Holding the warm cup in both hands, Julien closed his eyes.
"You just put it into hot water and stir… it's incredibly convenient. There's not even any waiting time like with cup ramen."
"Seriously. Now all that's left is to sleep. Before that, one more cup!"
Having acquired a taste for mix coffee, Hayward drank three cups in a row.Craid, as expected, finished his fifth cup without comment.
"But…"
After two cups, Julien blinked and lifted his head.
"I feel wide awake. I was sleepy before we ate."
"Huh? You too?"
"…I see."
For Jinseo, a Korean, the caffeine in mix coffee was everyday fare.But to people of this world, its effects were intense.
{ Preference analysis for the relevant job class is complete. }{ Those who seek ambushes while avoiding the enemy's eyes are lovers of darkness above all else. For such individuals, coffee—which drives away sleep, the sole poison of darkness—is the optimal food. }{ Base preference for coffee among thieves: 70. }{ When preference exceeds 50, special effects are triggered. Higher preference increases the effect. }{ Activated effects: Increased concentration, increased agility, increased evasion, extended stealth duration, etc. }{ While the effect persists, sleep becomes impossible. This effect ignores status abnormality immunity. }{ Preference analysis for the individual Hayward is complete. This individual's coffee preference is 300. }
"What the hell! I was all set to sleep soundly—why can't I fall asleep?!"
For Hayward especially, it was even worse.
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