Soy Crab Satisfaction Crisis

Two days had passed since Azid's stomach started growling pitifully again.

Normally, he'd have just grabbed some magic beast and scarfed it down, but after tasting that heavenly food, his tongue refused anything less. With the rations Han Ji-woo had left completely gone, Azid was left to battle his hunger head-on.

Growl~

His oblivious gut kept demanding food like a tantrum-throwing kid.

Azid shot a glare full of resentment at the sky.

"When the hell is that bastard coming back...?"

He'd said he'd return soon, but nothing. Radio silence.

Then, instead of the guy he was waiting for, down came a demon he wished would stay away—Astaroth.

Her eyes were bloodshot, hair a wild mess, and she was huffing out suspicious breaths like a total maniac. Her hand clamped on Azid's shoulder, trembling uncontrollably, as if she were addicted to something.

"Your Highness."

"Shut it. I really got nothing."

"Come on, don't be like that. You must have some stashed away. I'll trade you fifty low demons from my territory."

"I said none."

"Come on, please! Is it too few? Fine, a hundred low demons!"

"You lost your mind?"

"What do you want, anyway? You name it first."

"For real, nothing."

"I won't ask for much! Even half an apple!"

"If it was two days ago, yeah. Hell, if you hadn't come barging in every damn day demanding food like a lunatic, I'd still be enjoying my happy meals. But because of you, it all ran out fast, you bitch!"

Astaroth grabbed Azid's collar without thinking.

"You turned me into this, so take responsibility!"

"I can't even handle my own gut, what the—"

"I can't live without mid-realm food anymore! Skip a day, and I feel like I'm going insane!"

"It's been two days for me too, you idiot. We gotta wait for that human to resupply."

Astaroth tore at her hair and screamed.

"Aaaargh! When's that bastard coming?!"

The wail of a high-ranking demon echoed across the quiet outskirts of the Demon Realm.

Scratch, scratch.

Han Ji-woo scratched his ear while watching the dwarf brothers devour their meal.

'Who's cursing me?'

But looking back at his actions here, no one had reason to badmouth him. Take right now—they were scarfing down the food he'd prepared like possessed men.

Crunch! Crunch! Gulp! Munch! Munch! Gulp!

How massive was this favor he'd bestowed?

'They really eat well, though.'

The dish Han Ji-woo had whipped up for the dwarves was, surprisingly, soy marinated crab—specifically, chamgejang made with chamge crabs!

Three days ago, Han Ji-woo had wanted to repay Pao for cooking in his stead amid the busy schedule. So he dove into making soy marinated crab.

It wasn't hard. First, boil soy sauce with green onions, garlic, and honey, then let it cool. Meanwhile, prep some fat female chamge crabs and soak them in the cooled sauce. Done.

For the crab meat to fully absorb the soy flavor, it needed at least three days—which lined up perfectly with the day he'd promised to supply weapons to the dungeon folk.

He'd planned a joyful soy crab party with his pets after wrapping up work.

'Never thought it'd backfire like this.'

If the dwarf brothers hadn't shown up and solved the weapon supply issue for the dungeon folk, would he have enjoyed the soy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crab in peace?

"Totally doable."

But hey, soy crab was just too damn good!

Han Ji-woo shared it not just with the dwarf brothers but his pets too, and dug in himself.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Chamge were smaller than flower crabs, but the plump ones yielded satisfying meat when you cracked the body. Perfectly soy-marinated flesh—sweet and salty—made you crave rice immediately.

And those iridescent pink roe sacs? So nutty, you didn't want to swallow!

"Hah, this is insane."

Pulled into a dungeon and eating soy marinated crab? In this barren hellhole? It was a mind-bending delicacy that tested your sanity.

He polished off ten crabs in a flash, rice vanishing just as fast—already half a bowl down.

Han Ji-woo scooped rice, topped it with crab meat and guts, and took a big bite.

"Mmm!"

Flavor exploded.

The dwarf brothers, who'd been eating crab then rice separately, copied him immediately.

"Ooh, that's good!"

"Hah, delicious. So delicious!"

To kick it up, Han Ji-woo fried ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠some eggs. Horned chicken eggs were huge—five made plenty for everyone.

"Watch closely now."

All eyes locked on him, though no one stopped eating.

He filled a massive wooden bowl Osgeelro Haiban had made with rice, piled on crab meat, guts, and roe. Then five spoonfuls of sesame oil and five half-runny fried eggs! Stir vigorously with a spatula, and voila—glossy soy crab bibimbap!

"No way! The smell alone is killer!"

"Give it here! I wanna eat!"

The dwarves begged, drooling. Pets couldn't look away either.

Han Ji-woo divided it fairly, then took a bite. Each chew burst with creamy, nutty guts and sesame oil aroma. The pudding-like egg whites added texture, yolk coating everything for double moisture and savoriness.

There was that saying: rice tastes sweet. Today, Han Ji-woo got it deep. So sweet, it went down like honey rice cakes.

Was his stomach stretched from the feast? He overate but still felt hungry.

So he poured water over the scorched rice stuck to the pot and boiled it. A savory aroma wafted everywhere.

"What's this now?"

Han Ji-woo plunked the whole pot on the table. "It's called sungnyung. Great as dessert or with crab."

True to his word. After squeezing out crab meat, a sip of nutty sungnyung was perfection.

"Does everyone in your world eat like this?" asked Granbas Garglat, amazed by the dishes.

"Yep. And there's even tastier stuff."

"Tastier? Than this?"

"More delicious dishes?"

The dwarves' eyes bulged as they blurted questions.

"Absolutely."

"If we could, I'd love to visit."

"We dwarves know good eats! Anywhere with great food and booze, we're there!"

"Feels great."

Han Ji-woo's face beamed. Like Palas before them, these dwarves devoured Korean food. K-food conquering not just Earth but aliens and other races? Epic!

Good mood sparked more appetite. He crushed apples by hand for juice—something impossible on Earth, but with boosted stats, easy. Served in cups as dessert.

Perfect timing post-meal. Dwarves and pets' eyes turned hearts.

Gulp! Gulp!

"Kuh, good!"

"Apple juice in a dungeon... who knew."

The dwarf brothers' satisfaction rose by 4 each. Granbas Garglat hit 6, Arnok Garglat 7.

'Easy peasy.'

Less than three hours since they arrived in Hidden Space, and satisfaction was over halfway. Han Ji-woo figured he'd max it soon, so he posted a note in the Dungeon Shop:

But by nightfall, their satisfaction hadn't hit 10.

With this, affinity with the Necromancer ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠constellation hit max.

But Han Ji-woo couldn't fully savor it. The dwarves' satisfaction was stuck at 9.

'What's wrong?'

No clue. After the lavish meal, they'd showered in the lake, used the bathroom, napped on comfy bedding. Just woke up hungry, so he served another feast.

Still at 9.

Midnight hadn't passed, so over half a day before ascension, but Han Ji-woo was anxious. If they left without hitting 10, cumulative satisfaction wouldn't reach 30. There went the plan to summon that dead dwarf hero as a constellation.

To scrape that last point, he waited on them hand and foot. Fed Granbas Garglat bite by bite since he loved food; swarmed Arnok Garglat with pets since he liked cute things, melting his heart.

Still no 10.

'What's the issue?'

Nothing left to try. Needing a breather, he trudged to the beach.

Beach offered only salty seawater. But he checked anyway—maybe something useful. Today, the tide was way out, exposing mudflats below the sand.

"Huh?"

Up close, mudflats galore.

His heart thumped. Mudflats meant... clams!

Maybe dig up all kinds here!

He pulled salt from Inventory, scanned the ground. Sprinkled on a tiny hole.

Pop!

A long razor clam poked its head out. He snatched it quick.

"Whoa!"

Bamboo-like razor clam gleaming in his palm.

"Clam soup. Clam salad. Clam noodle soup. Grilled clams!"

Dishes flooded his mind. Excited, he dug like mad.

Not forgetting satisfaction—half his brain chanted, 'Let's see who wins.'

Venting frustration, eyes blazing, he yanked razor clams nonstop.

Then—

"What in the blazes is this?!"

Granbas Garglat's furious roar shook his eardrums.

Startled, Han Ji-woo whipped around. There stood enraged Granbas Garglat before a two-pyeong building, door wide open. Inside slept Osgeelro Haiban.