Chapter 73

“Captain Mooooo!”

Mo Haein frowned as she swung her sword at the Lava Golem.

“Captain Kwak. If you’ve got time to wag your tongue, use your skills.”

Only then did Kwak Hanmuk activate the Paladin skill, Judgment.

Five swords of light materialized above the Lava Golem’s head before plunging down in rapid succession.

As the brilliant white blades pierced its black-and-crimson body, the Lava Golem trembled in agony before stomping its foot, causing boulders to rain down.

Mo Haein slipped effortlessly through the falling rocks and repeatedly slashed at the golem’s core.

It was the Swordsman’s skill, Flurry.

Unable to withstand the assault, the core cracked with a sharp snap before crumbling apart.

The Lava Golem collapsed into a heap of stones. A system window appeared announcing victory, but they were so used to seeing it that neither of them even looked.

Without exaggeration, they’d killed the Flame Lizards and Lava Golems well over a hundred times today.

They’d reached the point where they could do it with their eyes closed.

Mo Haein was already thinking only about quickly picking up the Lava Salt when Kwak Hanmuk started bothering her again.

“Haaaein-ah.”

She sighed and picked up the salt container the Lava Golem had dropped.

“What.”

“Nothing.”

With both hands clasped behind his head, Kwak Hanmuk slowly wandered over.

But she knew full well that whenever he said “nothing,” it was never actually nothing.

She tossed him the salt container.

“Hanmuk. Do you believe what the trainee says?”

He snorted.

“Not a chance.”

The candy Han Goyo had shown them was a bound item he’d received after clearing <Happy Smile Factory>.

Maybe it had some incredible hidden function…

But at a glance, it certainly didn’t look like something capable of displaying system windows to other Adaptees.

Neither of them had ever even heard of an item like that. More importantly, the golden veil that had appeared over them…

It was exactly the same golden color as Han Goyo’s eyes when they’d changed.

If they couldn’t connect that radiant golden veil with those dazzling golden eyes then they might as well hand back their Trial Response Agency captain insignias.

Even so, neither of them had questioned him.

Because they believed he had his reasons for staying silent.

‘It doesn’t seem like he has bad intentions.’

The feelings she’d experienced while enveloped by that golden veil were still vivid.

That wasn’t something an item could produce.

Thinking back on that incomprehensible moment, Mo Haein finally spoke.

“Once we clear Sla2Plate… the trainee will probably make his decision.”

She didn’t want to put any more pressure on Han Goyo than necessary.

If he chose to remain with the Trial Response Agency of his own accord, she planned to ask him everything then.

But if he didn’t…

As thoughts of Director Jang Seokyun crossed her mind, Kwak Hanmuk interrupted them.

“No, Captain Mo. Seriously though… you really can’t see that slime? I’m losing my mind because I’m the only one who can. It’s always stuck to Goyo too.”

“You’re serious?”

“Dead serious.”

“If it really isn’t an infection… then maybe it’s connected to the trainee’s ability too?”

“Think so? Since when did Little Chestnut get such an adorable power?”

Just then, a system window appeared.

Mo Haein gestured toward the exit.

“Let’s head down.”

Once the daytime dungeon ended, they’d agreed to finish gathering materials and meet in the first-floor lobby.

But even after waiting for quite some time, neither Je Hyun-oh nor Han Goyo showed up.

Just as they were about to go look for them, the teleportation circle finally lit up.

And the two captains were greeted by a thoroughly baffling sight.

Han Goyo was being carried under Je Hyun-oh’s arm like a sack of luggage.

At long last, we returned to the first-floor lobby.

I wanted to celebrate escaping Floor 45, but my current position was rather uncomfortable.

Because Je Hyun-oh had me tucked under one arm.

Maybe I’d overused my abilities, as I’d collapsed halfway to the teleportation circle in a thoroughly undignified heap.

Je Hyun-oh had kindly carried the trainee who’d exhausted himself helping him around like a sack of flour.

He’d even transformed one of his metal hands into his Crow Glove before picking me up. I was honestly touched enough to cry.

“Trainee!”

The moment Mo Haein saw me, she rushed over in alarm.

It was embarrassing that I was the only one who looked completely battered.

‘Je Hyun-oh had literally ripped off his own wings yet somehow looked healthier than I did.’

His clothes were black as a crow’s feathers, so you couldn’t even see the bloodstains.

Mo Haein immediately turned toward him.

“Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyun-oh.”

She called him in a firm voice.

Je Hyun-oh answered without hesitation.

“Goyo started messing around first.”

That’s not true, Captain Mo! Lieutenant Colonel Je was the one who went crazy first!

Unable to voice my grievance aloud, I quietly said,

“I merely did my best…”

Kwak Hanmuk wandered over lazily before staring at me in surprise.

“Goyo, what happened to you?”

Then, loud enough for everyone to hear, he whispered,

“Did you go Crazy Chestnut on Lieutenant Colonel Je again?”

…Maybe I had. I probably should’ve just run away.

After overcoming countless complications, we finally exited the dungeon.

The evening sky was glowing with sunset.

Ella, who had spent the entire time diligently grilling lizard tails while surrounded by mountains of items, spoke in a weary voice.

“It’s evening now… Go home already…”

Then she looked at me, and h er eyes flew wide open in surprise.

“Y-you… Little Lamb! What happened to you?!”

Still tucked under Je Hyun-oh’s arm, I didn’t forget to look pitiful.

“My abilities weren’t sufficient. Even after you kindly opened the way for us… I’m sorry for showing such an embarrassing sight.”

Lowering my eyes as though dejected, I quietly continued,

“But at least the food… I’ll definitely serve you something delicious…”

Both Ella and Ellun frowned sympathetically.

Seeing the compassion in their eyes, I gave them a lonely smile.

The twins exchanged glances, then Ellun flapped over and held something out to me.

It was a High-Grade Recovery Potion.

It was exactly what I needed most right now, so I gratefully accepted it without refusing.

The moment I drank it, my nearly empty HP was completely restored.

Finally freed from Je Hyun-oh’s grip, I bowed sincerely to the twins.

“Thank you so much!”

Ella simply huffed and looked away, while Ellun gathered up the grilled lizard tails and handed them to me.

Looking curiously at them, he asked,

“So tomorrow… these become food?”

“Of course, Ellun-nim. Please look forward to it. You too, Ella-nim.”

After saying goodbye, I took out a large cloth and wrapped up the mountain of gathered items.

Then I slung the makeshift sack over my shoulder.

It hadn’t been possible in the game, but reality allowed tricks like this.

Each of us shouldered one large sack before leaving the dungeon together.

The shops in town all had different business hours, but most opened around 9:00 AM and closed at either 5:00 or 6:00 PM.

Originally, I’d planned to sell part of today’s loot and buy beds from the furniture shop, but that plan had completely fallen apart.

Tomorrow morning we’d need to buy furniture and everything necessary to open the restaurant.

I glanced around at the group.

Aside from the soft, squishy Pudding Slime, everyone looked exhausted.

‘Dinner should be something really good.’

One of the truly evil things about Sla2Plate’s village was that, aside from simple snacks, nobody sold actual meals.

If players wanted to satisfy their hunger without entering the dungeon, their only option was wandering around collecting edible plants.

But once winter arrived, every forageable ingredient disappeared. Eventually, everyone was forced into the dungeon.

From what I’d heard, the captains had always finished clearing Sla2Plate before winter arrived, and survived entirely on gathered food.

For a normal clear, simply conquering the dungeon was enough, so it wasn’t exactly a bad strategy.

Just not an efficient one.

Foraged food barely restored hunger, and unlike proper meals, provided no buffs.

The moment we arrived at the restaurant, I immediately lit the stove.

As I placed two Flame Lizard tails into the sink, Mo Haein looked uneasy.

“…This is edible, right?”

“When cooked, it’s crispy, juicy, chewy, and packed with rich flavor.”

At least, it was in the game.

I kept the last part to myself as I tied on the apron I’d bought yesterday from the general store.

This time Kwak Hanmuk stared at me.

“Goyo… You’re seriously amazing.”

While tying the apron strings, I looked at him in confusion. Since the apron slightly increased cooking success rates thanks to its Luck bonus, I planned to wear it while cooking.

He gazed at me with distant eyes.

“If hyung-nim Roasted Chestnut ever rolled a maid outfit in Clean3… he’d probably just clean without thinking twice…”

I had no idea where that came from. Besides, I’d never roll a maid outfit anyway, so it was a meaningless hypothetical.

Dinner came first.

Ignoring him, I took out today’s cooking equipment.

The jelly-like cores obtained from Flame Slimes were one of the essential ingredients for monster cuisine.

Without them, monster meat simply wouldn’t cook properly.

The problem was that they made the stove absurdly hot that cooking with them almost guaranteed burns.

Normally I’d use my Hellfire Oven Mitts…

I looked toward the person responsible for destroying my precious gloves.

Je Hyun-oh stood by himself against the far wall.

‘Wait.’

‘They don’t have to be oven mitts.’

I confidently walked over and held out my hand.

“Lieutenant Colonel Je. Please lend me the Crow Glove.”

I declared it as though it were already mine.

He stared silently at me.

Even through his goggles, I could feel his gaze.

It didn’t seem especially friendly.

After everything I’d done to save him in the dungeon, you’d think he’d at least like me a little more. Instead, it somehow felt like he’d started liking me even less.

‘Does he want to kill me again?’

Then again, thinking back to DeZonDeal, maybe not.

He was impossible to understand.

Regardless, I repeated myself.

“My oven mitts were ruined because of your metal wings today. I have nothing to cook with now. At this rate, the captains and I will be eating grass.”

Je Hyun-oh took out the Crow Glove.

But instead of handing it over, he dangled it casually from the tip of his metal fingers.

The instant I snatched it away, he pushed himself off the wall.

The captains immediately asked,

“Where are you going?”

“Going to clear the dungeon. As far as I can.”

From Floor 45 to Floor 65, solo entry was allowed, so he meant he’d clear as much as possible.

Everyone present knew the real reason. He just wanted something to slice apart with his metal hands.

Kwak Hanmuk walked over to open the door for him.

The captains knew nothing about what had happened earlier today.

But I’d seen everything, so I couldn’t help worrying.

“Lieutenant Colonel Je…”

I quietly called after him.

He stopped walking.

Slowly, he turned to look at me.

“Goyo.”

“Yes.”

His deep, rough voice murmured lazily.

“You’re getting cocky again.”

“……”

If I said even one wrong thing, I had a feeling I’d be sliced apart by his metal hand.

So I obediently backed down.

Come to think of it, today’s situation had been an exception. Normally, Je Hyun-oh was highly resistant to mental attacks.

And within Sla2Plate, there wasn’t a single monster with stronger mental abilities than Gorgos.

Maybe I didn’t need to worry quite so much.

After Je Hyun-oh left for the dungeon, I checked the item’s description.

I had no idea what that meant, but I made a point of remembering it.

It wouldn’t be easy, but I wanted to understand Je Hyun-oh better.

The information available in the game simply wasn’t enough.

Because while I knew about <Zero>, I didn’t know what Je Hyun-oh had experienced inside <Zero>.

I could only assume he’d escaped through abnormal means.

Carefully, I put on the Crow Glove.

For a moment, I worried teeth might suddenly grow inside it and bite my hand off. Fortunately, nothing happened.

It just felt like an ordinary glove. It probably only reacted to Infected beings or provided stat bonuses.

Either way, it’s durability was exceptional, so it should withstand the extreme heat with no problem.

Wearing the Crow Glove, I finally began cooking.

The moment I tossed the Flame Slime Core into the stove, the flames roared to life.

I quickly placed the Obsidian Frying Pan over the fire and while it heated up, I hurriedly washed the lizard tails and laid them across the cutting board.

Pulling out my Chinese cleaver, I chopped them into cubes. As my skills activated one after another, system windows flooded my vision.

There were so many notifications I couldn’t even read them all.

My level had skyrocketed today.

Tonight’s menu: Flame Lizard Tail Chop Steak.

The captains might find the original tail shape unsettling, so I’d dice the meat into familiar chunks and mix it with gathered vegetables.

I poured the meat into the pan.

It sizzled as oil shimmered across the surface. After shaking the pan a couple of times, I grabbed another cutting board and chopped vegetables.

Thanks to my skills, my hands moved faster and more precisely than ever.

Once the vegetables were ready, I added them to the sizzling meat and began stir-frying everything together.

An incredible aroma filled the restaurant.

Then I sprinkled in Lava Salt and Volcanic Ash Spice. The smell became so enticing that even people walking outside would’ve turned around.

Kwak Hanmuk, who’d fled to the far side of the room the moment I’d started cutting lizard tails…

And Mo Haein, who’d been standing nearby looking rather skeptical.

Both found themselves drawn back by the smell.

I brought out the restaurant’s nicest plate and served the finished dish.

In addition to levels, The Chef class also had Proficiency.

The more different dishes you created, the higher it became. The higher the Proficiency, the higher a dish’s star rating.

Mine was still fairly low.

I’d only managed three stars thanks to my high level, strong skills, and premium ingredients.

Since dishes ranged from zero to six stars, three stars was roughly average.

I called over the captains.

“Dinner’s ready!”

As I set the enormous plate on the table, Kwak Hanmuk’s eyes widened.

“This… is the lizard tail?”

“Yes. Give it a try.”

As I served everyone onto individual plates, something soft pressed against my cheek.

“I’m fine. Please eat, Roasted Chestnut.”

I already knew Dominic didn’t eat. Still, I nodded slightly as though I were taking his feelings into consideration.

The captains thanked me and began eating, then fell silent.

It was because they were too busy eating.

I took a bite myself, thankfully, itt was good. I’d been a little nervous since it had been a while since I’d cooked.

The outside was crispy, the inside remained delightfully chewy, and every bite released rich juices bursting with umami.

The vegetables retained a satisfying crunch andThe Lava Salt and Volcanic Ash Spice were perfectly balanced.

It was amazing that the flavor descriptions I’d only ever read as text in the game could actually be experienced exactly the same way in reality.

“It looks delicious. I’m looking forward to the dish you’ll prepare for me as well, Roasted Chestnut.”

…

Dominic’s praise nearly made me choke.

By the time we’d finished every last bite, a system window had appeared.

Mo Haein, who’d polished off even the final morsel, quietly read the notification.

“What is this? A buff…?”

“It’s only a three-star dish. Tomorrow I should be able to make four-star meals. Probably four buffs… around +30% Critical Rate and +150% Critical Damage.”

‘I’ll just make five hundred lizard skewers tonight before going to bed.’

Once my Proficiency increased, producing consistent four-star dishes tomorrow would be easy.

But, neither captain said anything.

I’d been secretly feeling rather proud. Suddenly feeling awkward, I quickly added,

“Um… if I work a little harder, I can probably get five buffs—”

Grab.

Without warning, Kwak Hanmuk seized my hand. Beside him, Mo Haein stared at me with burning intensity.

With complete sincerity, he declared,

“Crazy Chestnut… hyung-nim Goyo. Starting tomorrow, I’ll bring back a thousand lizards every day.”

Just as Kwak Hanmuk was making his Lizard Oath—

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Someone pounded frantically on the restaurant door.

“Little Lamb! Open the door! Immediately!”

It was Ella, one of the Fire Dragon twins.