Chapter 34
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Special Wanja-tang for the Patient
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“Um, excuse me.”
“I’m going to cook, so don’t disturb me. And I don’t respond to people who talk down to me.”
“......”
Chae-ryeon shot back coldly, then completely ignored Han Joo-oh as if he weren’t even there, focusing entirely on her cooking.
“The Boss seems really angry.”
“It looks that way, Senior Mimi. I’ve never seen the Boss so intensely focused like that before.”
They had originally planned for Mimi and Sol-chan to help with the cooking too, but in this situation, they couldn’t step in, so the two could only whisper to each other.
As summoned beings who couldn’t defy their master’s will, all they could do was watch.
‘I’ve already decided what nourishing dish to make.’
SS-Rank Colossal Sandworm meat was practically a medicinal ingredient in itself, so no matter how it was cooked, it would nourish the body the moment it was eaten.
So, how should she make the ultimate nourishing dish with this precious ingredient?
The answer lay in highlighting the ingredient’s strengths while preparing it in the way best suited to the current patient, the hunter.
Chae-ryeon glanced at Han Joo-oh once more to check his condition.
‘Dungeon poison poisoning, right?’
The System Administrator had said it was something like food poisoning.
With the chills, fever, stomach pain, and nausea making him tremble, it was clearly the case.
Common sense dictated he should go to a hospital for treatment—at least for an ordinary person.
But Han Joo-oh was a hunter, so he needed treatment suited to a hunter. Calling a healer, as he’d mentioned, would be the fastest way...
‘Lee Seo-ro called me here to feed him a nourishing dish, so there must be a good reason for that.’
She decided to trust it, since no one would joke around with someone’s life.
[5252, I believe in you!]
[system: Proclaims that User Moon Chae-ryeon's cooking skills combined with premium monster meat boasting fantastic stamina make it invincible!]
[( • ̀ω•́ )b ✧]
[system: Insists we show that clueless punk what fantastic her Moon Chae-ryeon brand dishes are!]
“Exactly, Boss! With you, we can crush that arrogant hunter’s nose!”
“With the best ingredients and the best skills, what’s there to fear? Let’s show him what a kitchen battle is like!”
Their voices were as small as mosquitoes, but Mimi and Sol-chan’s cheers rang clearly in her ears.
‘Yeah. What’s there I can’t do?’
The menu was already decided.
Wanja-tang—similar to the dumplings from last time, but different.
It was a decision based on its chicken-like texture and the fact that even a tough hunter’s body was weakened right now.
[Coming Right Up!] activated!
User Moon Chae-ryeon's cooking speed increases dramatically!
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.
Soon the kitchen filled with the lively sound of footsteps like tap dancing.
She simmered the broth, fished out the blanched pork base from the boiling water, sprinkled minced seasonings and vegetables over the finely chopped SS-Rank Colossal Sandworm meat and mixed it.
While cooling the broth, she shaped the mixed meat into neat bite-sized balls, dusted them white with starch like snow, and the wanja were complete.
‘But this isn’t the end!’
Cracking eggs into a bowl, whisking them into a lovely egg wash to coat the wanja was essential.
Then, when the prepared broth came to a boil, plop-plop.
For the finish, a touch of soy sauce and salt for seasoning, plus fresh sliced green onions for a refreshing touch to the broth!
Thanks to her skill, Chae-ryeon completed all this in a very short time.
“Wh-what...”
‘What job trait lets her cook like she’s possessed?’
Even in his pain, Han Joo-oh couldn’t tear his eyes away from Chae-ryeon’s astonishing movements.
“Here you go! All done, customer. Please enjoy.”
Above the finished dish floated a status window visible only to Chae-ryeon, the administrator, and the two summons.
[Special Wanja-tang Made with SS-Rank Colossal Sandworm Meat]
Grade: U
[Description: Wanja-tang made with SS-Rank Colossal Sandworm meat. A premium dish only User Moon Chae-ryeon can produce.]
[Generously using top-grade meat, it melts in your mouth the moment you eat it. One taste of this wanja-tang, and you’ll be enslaved to Moon Chae-ryeon’s cooking.]
[The effects enhanced by her skill remain intact, making it the perfect tonic for a sick hunter. If you haven’t tried it, eat first, then talk.]
It was already a resounding success just from this.
Chae-ryeon placed the steaming wanja-tang in a soup bowl on a small wooden tray alongside some kimchi and brought it to Han Joo-oh.
When she pulled out the table from the patient bed and set the tray down, a fragrant, nutty aroma wafted up.
Gulp. The sound of swallowing came from Han Joo-oh.
‘Won’t trust me, he said. When did he spout that nonsense?’
He was completely entranced by the wanja-tang’s aroma and picked up the spoon first.
“Well then, I’ll dig in...”
“Hold on.”
She snatched the spoon from him, and he protested with teary eyes.
“Why! ...Please.”
They said nothing could stand before good food.
Now Han Joo-oh, finally minding the chef Chae-ryeon, started using polite speech, fumbling awkwardly.
“Don’t you have something to say to me, Han Joo-oh?”
Standing with arms crossed, refusing to hand over the spoon, steam rose between them like smoke.
Leave it like this, and it’d cool off fast.
[The cooler it gets, the worse the taste...]
[(。≖ˇ∀ˇ≖。)]
[A sincere apology would prevent the wanja-tang from cooling tragedy.]
The System Administrator sometimes felt like Chae-ryeon’s spokesperson. What a clown.
Anyway, gripping the spoon and silently demanding an apology with her eyes, Han Joo-oh finally surrendered.
“I... I’m sorry. Moon Chae-ryeon User.”
“Sorry for what exactly?”
[Oh! Ultimate attack! ‘What are you sorry for?!’]
[Curious what excuse Hunter Han Joo-oh will come up with~?]
The administrator was enjoying this. 100%.
No need to broadcast it, though.
With her sense of absurdity running away, Han Joo-oh bowed his head sincerely.
As a patient sitting up, that was all he could do, but his sincerity came through.
“......I’m truly sorry, Moon Chae-ryeon User. Even if recent sensitive events have happened to me, I apologize for rudely suspecting you—a stranger—and treating it as fact. You were just here to cook at Lee Seo-ro’s request...”
The politely apologizing Han Joo-oh no longer seemed like a snarling beast.
Chae-ryeon handed the spoon back to him.
“Thank you for apologizing. Sorry for acting childish in front of a finished meal myself.”
“......So, can I eat now?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you. I’ll dig in.”
The exceedingly polite Han Joo-oh happily began eating.
Cautiously biting into a bite-sized wanja, his eyes flew wide in shock.
At least, not in a bad way.
“How can there be a taste like this?”
He let out a scream-like exclamation and then madly shoveled the spoon.
His gaunt face, like he hadn’t slept for three days straight, seemed like it couldn’t handle even a spoonful, but he buried his head in the bowl and practically inhaled it.
Chomp chomp. Chew chew.
The cabbage kimchi set out for him to eat with it vanished in an instant.
“Hey... eat slower. You’ll get indigestion.”
“I’m fine, cough, cough-hurk.”
“See?”
Chae-ryeon clicked her tongue and brought him a cup of water.
“It’s warm barley tea, so chug it down.”
“Guh, th-thank you.”
Had he been starved the whole time he was sick? He gulped down the water too.
‘He’s like a starving wild animal.’
Pity built up as she watched, melting away any lingering resentment. His cute way of eating heartily helped too.
“It’s so good I lost my manners. Sorry.”
‘Food is great. The tastier it is, the greater its power.’
Who’d have thought the prickly cat-like Han Joo-oh could become this tame?
“......There’s plenty more wanja-tang left, so eat slowly. I’ll give you more if you’re still hungry.”
“Really?”
His golden eyes sparkled like a stray courtyard cat from the countryside.
‘......Maybe a little cute.’
Seeing him conquered by food melted Chae-ryeon’s heart.
Instead, oddly enough, the System Administrator was throwing a tantrum this time.