Chapter 19
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Into the Dungeon for Delivery
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‘Am I done for?’
Shin Ha-rang was in despair.
Because the third dungeon wave had finally begun.
As the motorcycle roared into the air, Ha-rang saw his life flash before his eyes once more.
‘Those idiot guildmates of mine. I wonder if they'll be okay without me.’
Sorry, comrades. This might be my last day on earth.
Ha-rang clung tightly to Chae-ryeon's waist and squeezed his eyes shut.
The sensation of descending was utterly dizzying.
“Kieeeek—!”
‘A-Am I going to die?’
Thud.
With a massive crash, Chae-ryeon's motorcycle collided with the boss monster, the sandworm.
Chae-ryeon targeted the same flank she'd struck earlier, but this time the sandworm twisted its body slightly, avoiding another rupture.
True to its boss monster status, it had incredible regenerative abilities—the gash from before was already healing with fresh flesh.
Seeing that, Chae-ryeon muttered,
“That plump new flesh looks pretty shrimp-like. Wonder what it'll taste like?”
‘...This woman. Is she really insane?’
Ha-rang was horrified.
To see that tasteless trash heap of a dungeon monster as an ingredient!
The madwoman with clear eyes was right here.
No one obsessed with cooking could think like that otherwise.
If she'd ever tasted cooked dungeon monster meat even once, she wouldn't harbor such dangerous ideas.
“Delivery Hunter, please just run away. I beg you.”
“Can't do that. Mimi, Sol-chan!”
At Chae-ryeon's call, the summoned creatures Mimi and Sol-chan poked their heads out from where they'd been safely tucked inside the delivery box.
“You called for us, Mistress!”
“What do you need us for?”
A white rabbit and a brown raccoon tanuki combo.
“Two summoned beasts...?”
‘This is a first.’
Unless their awakening job was Tamer, no hunter had ever been seen with more than one summoned beast.
‘Just who the hell is this woman?’
Ha-rang was flustered by Chae-ryeon, who kept revealing new sides no matter how much he learned.
To the dazed man, Chae-ryeon said,
“Customer.”
“Y-Yes?”
“I'll catch that ingredient for you. In the meantime, stay safe with Mimi and Sol-chan.”
“Huh?”
Before Ha-rang could protest, Chae-ryeon leaped off the motorcycle.
“Sol-chan! Transform into a human and drive the bike. You can get the customer somewhere safe, right?”
“Of course!”
“Good. Mimi, protect the customer so he doesn't get hurt! He looks exhausted even as an S-rank, so feed him first!”
At those words, Ha-rang was startled.
‘She knew who I was?’
And yet, in this dire situation, she wasn't asking for his help but insisting on handling it alone?
Her very existence as a delivery hunter was beyond shocking—it was awe-inspiring.
“Understood!”
The summoned beasts, utterly obedient to their master's command, dutifully escorted Ha-rang to a relatively safe spot.
Sol-chan transformed into human form and took the handlebars.
“...A tanuki? You can turn human too? Summoned beasts can do that?”
“My name is Sol-chan. Hold on tight, Customer, so you don't fall off.”
The warmth he'd shown toward Chae-ryeon vanished; Sol-chan was curt, merely polite, as he drove Ha-rang away from the sandworm horde in the opposite direction.
“What are you doing! Summoned beasts are supposed to prioritize their master's safety...!”
“Does that mean you think our mistress will lose to a puny horde like that?”
Thinking they were insulting their master, the summoned beasts' eyes turned fierce.
“...Is that how it is?”
Mimi dropped her archaic speech, her red eyes gleaming.
They were clearly just a small, cute rabbit and tanuki, but it felt like facing jungle predators—chills ran down his spine.
“N-No, that's not what I meant.”
“Then watch closely. Our mistress has a plan.”
“And see just how strong she is! The apex predator ruling the food chain—witness it with your own eyes!”
“...”
Ha-rang had no strength left to argue and simply nodded.
Only then did Mimi and Sol-chan relax their glaring eyes.
“Hmph. Hurry and eat from a safe spot. We'd just get in her way.”
“Indeed. Our great mistress operates on a different level. Seeing is believing.”
Mimi and Sol-chan even laid out a mat for Ha-rang and unpacked the meticulously prepared King of Kings Bento.
“You must be hungry, so eat before it gets cold.”
“...Whoa.”
Once the steam cleared, the bento revealed itself in all its glory—truly fantastical.
The five-tiered bento was luxurious enough to feel extravagant in a dungeon.
Bacon-wrapped onigiri rice balls made with loving care. Freshly grilled spicy-glazed eel, still piping hot. Fluffy egg rolls stuffed with carrots, green onions, and cheese. A fried assortment that would surely crunch satisfyingly in the mouth.
A crisp salad of fresh sprouts, cucumber, assorted fruits, and berries, plus layers of tangy fresh spring rolls.
Even five kinds of seasonal fruits, neatly sliced and placed with forks in the very top tier.
‘Th-This looks insanely delicious.’
Forgetting this was inside a dungeon—or even his dignity—Ha-rang stared, slack-jawed, drool practically pooling.
“Here are the utensils.”
“Th-Thanks.”
“No need to thank us. We're grateful to you for ordering from our mistress.”
Mimi turned her head primly away, her gaze fixed solely on her master.
“...I'll dig in.”
‘I'm useless here anyway. If I sense the delivery hunter's in danger, I'll rush in immediately.’
Ha-rang grabbed the utensils and wolfed down the bento.
He needed to eat fast to regain his strength for battle—or so he thought, but Mimi and Sol-chan looked at him pitifully.
“Oh dear, eat slowly. You'll get indigestion.”
“Mmph, mmph! (I-I'm fine!)”
Ever so kindly, the two handed him something from a thermos.
“Almost forgot to give you this.”
“...What's this?”
“Chicken porridge. Mistress made it with ginseng.”
“Eat up. She figured your stomach's in bad shape after days without food, so even though it's not on the menu, she made it specially as service!”
“...”
Staring at the chicken porridge Mimi ladled into a small bowl with a tiny spoon, Ha-rang was deeply moved.
‘To go this far for me...’
I'd been scheming to monopolize the delivery hunter for our Wing Guild alone.
As if pinpointing his pettiness, Chae-ryeon's thoughtful care moistened the heart.
Ha-rang scooped a big spoonful of porridge into his mouth.
“...Delicious.”
It really was.
Perfectly chewy rice grains without a hint of scorching, tender carrots and green onions just right for swallowing.
The star, the chicken, was from native breed— even the breast meat was springy and flavorful, not tough.
“Oh? Sol-chan, the customer's crying.”
“Huh? So he is.”
‘...I'm crying?’
Ha-rang fumbled at his cheek with his hand.
It was wet.
He'd been eating while unconsciously tearing up.
Relief at still being alive, joy at escaping gnawing hunger, shame from his arrogance crumbling that he could buy the delivery hunter off with money—it all stimulated his tear glands.
Realizing this, Ha-rang silently shoveled more rice as he spoke to Mimi and Sol-chan.
“...It's really good. I'm just grateful to the delivery hunter. If I could... I'd recover right now and fight alongside her.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Y-Yeah.”
Mimi narrowed her ruby-red eyes.
“Then promise us one thing.”
“Wh-What?”
“Your intent to repurchase.”
“...Huh?”
As question marks filled Ha-rang's face, Mimi tsked and pointed toward Chae-ryeon.
“Well... you'll see, but our mistress is more than enough on her own.”
“What? No way... Huh?”
Ha-rang's eyes nearly bulged out.
“Protein one! Protein two! Protein three!”
Far off, amid the sandworms and their spawn, Chae-ryeon was unleashing a rampage.
Weapons? None. Just bare-fisted punches.
Each punch pulverized sandworm heads and torsos.
A brutal scene of mass monster slaughter!
“Hehehe! Harvesting here means free ingredients!”
“...My god.”
Faced with Chae-ryeon's mad exploits, Ha-rang decided to just bury his face in the bento and eat obediently.
‘If I go over there now, even I'd get treated like a protein lump.’
Though Ha-rang said nothing, Mimi and Sol-chan nodded approvingly.
“Wise choice.”
“Very wise.”
Even amid it all, the bento was heartbreakingly delicious, so Shin Ha-rang vowed from then on to order only from the delivery hunter.