Chapter 20
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Delivering Inside the Dungeon
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How many minutes had passed?
"Kieeeek...!"
"Kiiik!"
The echoes of the sandworm pack's agonized screams finally died down.
"Hoo... That was a fine harvest."
By the time Moon Chae-ryeon, drenched in the sandworms' green bodily fluids, wiped her face, there wasn't a single breathing monster left beside her.
"Kiiik... Kiik..."
Even the last baby sandworm clinging to life finally breathed its last.
[Congratulations on clearing the SS-Rank Dungeon, <Mirage Quest>!]
[You have been awarded 999,000 experience points as a reward!]
[Your level rises exponentially!]
[Level rises vertically from Lv. 3 to Lv. 10!]
[A new title is granted to the user who has achieved the unbelievable feat!]
[Title: <Newbie? No, Mad Monster Hunter> has been granted.]
[Fame +100, Trust +50]
[The stars stir at the emergence of an outstanding user.]
[Constellations paying attention to User Moon Chae-ryeon's name are gradually increasing!]
[The attack cooldown for Skill <Become My Ingredient!> has ended.]
Snapping out of it, Chae-ryeon dragged the boss monster's corpse—the one that had died so valiantly, like a bandit leader.
"Gasp. What have I done?"
Freed from the skill-induced madness, she looked around to see massive baby sandworms resembling giant longhorn beetle larvae scattered everywhere.
The amazing part was that, thanks to the <Become My Ingredient!> skill, item description windows had popped up over every single monster corpse.
📦 Name:Sandworm Baby Meat (Made by Chae-ryeon)
📝 Description:Meat obtained by slaying a sandworm baby raised on pure protein.
It would normally induce a bitterness and sourness that robs ordinary hunters of their sense of taste, but the skill infused with User Moon Chae-ryeon's personal touch has transformed its properties.
Now it's a hearty protein-packed chunk with the texture of shrimp and the flavor of chicken.
Tender and chewy.
A nourishing dish that captures both taste and nutrition—care for a bite?
Such description windows blanketed the area like a glitch, given the hundreds of dead baby sandworms.
"...Wow. What the heck is this?"
Chae-ryeon nearly fainted at the sight of all that delicious-looking monster meat strewn about, but she barely held onto her sanity.
'Get it together, Moon Chae-ryeon! This is all prime ingredients that look tasty!'
The system chimed in as she slapped her own cheeks.
٩( ˘ ³˘)۶ⒽⓤⒼ♥♡̷♡̷
[system: Hey hey, I believed in you!]
[system: The system grins in satisfaction at its own foresight.]
"...System, what the hell are you aiming for, anyway?"
[system: It says you'll come to understand as you grow step by step.]
[system: It grumbles that your mind isn't mature enough yet to grasp ■■.]
'What's with the grand scheme?'
Chae-ryeon was thrilled at the chance to cook what she wanted and earn recognition from customers, but the feeling of being used left a slight bitter taste.
As if reading her uneasy heart, the system tried to reassure her.
ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡
[system: No need to worry, NO NO NO!]
[system: It emphasizes that no harm will come to the user chosen as the Dungeon Express Delivery Person.]
"Really?"
[system: It swears on its mission as the dimensional administrator.]
"...Fine. I'll let it slide for now."
[system: It's grateful, but advises collecting the hunted monster meat before you pass out from overusing those demanding skills.]
"...Urk."
No sooner had the system spoken than intense pain and overwhelming fatigue crashed over Chae-ryeon's body.
'Agh. I'm dying.'
All the skills she'd used were rare ones meant for at least level 10 or higher.
Yet at level 3, she'd pushed herself to save her customer Shin Ha-rang and stop the third monster wave, exhausting every ounce of energy through those skills. Collapsing was the natural outcome.
'Dizzy... Nauseous...'
Her legs trembled like a newborn fawn's.
Her vision shook like an earthquake, making it hard to keep balance.
"Urp."
She hadn't eaten any nasty dungeon grub, but Chae-ryeon dry-heaved anyway.
🥺
[system: It pities your hard work—hang in there a bit longer and recover the monster meat, please.]
"Why... Is this stuff worth something? Expensive?"
Chae-ryeon weakly pressed her forehead and managed to ask. The system replied promptly.
[system: User Moon Chae-ryeon, it explains this is the first 'tasty' monster meat you've hunted on this planet.]
[system: A rare item unavailable anywhere else—you could sell it on the Hunter Market outside and make a killing, it chatters.]
"How much?"
Slapping her cheeks to cling to her fading consciousness, Chae-ryeon barely stood.
'Ugh. Monster stench.'
The green sandworm fluids coating her reeked sharply, like fishy seafood.
[system: At least 2,000 gold per one, it estimates.]
"2,000 gold?"
The word 'at least' yanked Chae-ryeon's drifting mind back from the brink.
'Crazy. This is no time to pass out!'
2,000 gold! At least 2,000 gold!
"This is all money...!"
'Then I'll recover every last one.'
The effects of <Customer Love is Sales Love> were still active.
The stat boosts from the skill were more than enough to gather the hundreds of scattered baby sandworm meats.
"Can't miss a single one...!"
'Gotta run the shop so Mimi and Sol-chan never worry about money.'
Especially Sol-chan, her newly bound summon who specialized in accounting.
She wanted to let him do what he was best at, but felt guilty for making him cook right from their first meeting. Chae-ryeon yearned to bring in overflowing cash for him.
'Is this the mindset of the family head?'
Or perhaps the boss running the shop.
Muttering nonsense that only made her smile, Chae-ryeon painstakingly stowed the baby sandworm meats into her inventory.
Same-type items stacked into one, so her inventory didn't overflow.
"Phew... All in."
The last remnant was the boss monster's corpse, its sides burst open—the colossal sandworm.
"Let's see... What does this item's description say?"
Struggling to keep her drooping eyes open, Chae-ryeon read the item window.
📦 Name:SS-Grade Colossal Sandworm Meat
📝 Description:The ultimate stamina tonic, rivaling an elixir just from eating it.
Having preyed on victims bit by bit in the dungeon for ages, it boasts far higher calories and protein than the babies.
Great grilled, as sashimi, steamed—any way you like. The pinnacle of monster meat.
It would normally have otherworldly sourness and bitterness, sending you straight to the afterlife at first bite, but User Moon Chae-ryeon's skill has turned it into top-tier flavor.
Effective even against incurable diseases—feed it to sick hunters for amazing results!
"Whoa... This is almost cheat-level."
'Good thing I held on and picked it all up.'
Praising herself, Chae-ryeon staggered but stowed even the boss meat into her inventory.
"Ugh...."
With all the meat collected, the postponed fatigue hit like a wave.
'Gotta ask Mimi and Sol-chan to carry me out...'
She was so sleepy. Her eyes wanted to close, and she just wanted to sleep right there.
[Guide]
[The cleared dungeon will close soon.]
[All remaining users, please exit.]
Even as the dungeon announcement rang out, Chae-ryeon couldn't shake her hazy daze.
Her knees finally buckled.
'Sleepy...'
She still needed to collect payment from her customer Shin Ha-rang—whose nickname was [Ranking 1 is Mine]—and get his review on the bento she'd prepared...
Thud. As Chae-ryeon collapsed onto the sticky green-fluid-soaked sand, someone came running up.
"...Delivery Hunter!"
"Boss!"
"Boooss!"
'Ah.'
Customer Shin Ha-rang, Mimi, and Sol-chan.
With trusted presences right there, Chae-ryeon finally let go and passed out.
"...Don't die!"
'Die? As if.'
She was just falling asleep—they were overreacting.
And peaceful rest arrived.